ALFRED 
11HE GREAT 



ALFRED THE GREAT 



HEROES OF ALL TIME 



FIRST VOLUMES 



Alexander the Great. By Ada Russell, M.A. 
(Vict.) 

Augustus. By RenIs Francis, B.A. 

Alfred the Great. By A. E. McKilliam, M.A. 

Jeanne d'Arc. By E. M. Wilmot-Buxton, 
F.R.Hist.S. 

Sir Walter Raleigh. By Beatrice Marshall. 

William the Silent. By A. M. Miall. 



Other volumes in active preparation 




ALFRED HAS NEWS OF THE DANISH FLEET 



ALFRED 
THE GREAT 



BY 



A. E. McKILLIAM M.A, 



With Frontispiece in Color and Eight 
Black-and-White Illustrations 




NEW YORK 

FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 



Mi- 



Copyright, 1914, by 
Frederick A. Stokes Company 



All Rights Reserved 



D 



.AUG 24 1914 



August, 1914 



CI.A379217 



Contents 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Boy Pilgrim 9 

II. A Thousand Years Ago 15 

III. King Ethelwulf's Pilgrimage 23 

IV. Prince Ethelbald's Revolt 26 

V. 'The Locusts of the Baltic' 33 

VI. Prince Alfred's Marriage 40 

VII. St Edmund King and Martyr: The Battle of Ash- 
down 45 

VIII. Long LrvE the King ! 54 

IX. A Great Naval Victory 62 

X. Alfred's Adventures in Athelney 70 

XI. The Turn of the Tide 78 

XII. King Alfred's Laws 86 

XIII. The Danes Again 95 

XIV. King Alfred's Friends 102 

XV. Travellers' Tales Ill 

XVI. King Alfred's Monasteries 120 

XVII. King Alfred's Books 130 

XVIII. How Alfred Spent his Time and Money .... 141 

XIX. King Alfred's Children 148 

XX. Alfred's Last War 156 

XXI. The Defeat of the Danes 167 

XXII. The Death of the King 176 

XXIII. King Alfred's Millenary 184 



Illustrations 

Alfred has News of the Danish Fleet Frontispiece \S 

PAGE 

The Coming of the Norsemen 18 ^ 

Alfred Kills his first Wild Boar 36 ^ 

Alfred at Ashdown 51 ^ 

Alfred Playing a Harp in the Danish Camp 74 ^ 

Alfred Riding through the Ruins of London .... 98 V 

It was Othere the Ancient Mariner 114 \^ 

Alfred causes Candles to be lit in Churches .... 142 

The King's Son at his old Nurse's Hut 150 * 

Prince Edward Fought with Lion-like Courage . . . .160 
Alfred with his Ships watching for the Danes near the 

Devon Coast 168 



CHAPTER I: The Boy Pilgrim 

ON a certain spring day, more than a thousand 
years ago, a stately procession set out from 
Winchester for the Sussex coast, on its way 
to Rome. First came a company of stalwart soldiers 
in glittering coats of mail, with spears in their hands 
and swords at their sides. Behind them rode many 
bishops and priests in gorgeous vestments, carrying 
holy banners. They were followed by a numerous 
body of royal attendants of all ranks, who surrounded 
a richly caparisoned horse, on the back of which was 
strapped a large open basket or pannier, draped with 
purple cloth. In this was seated a small blue-eyed, 
fair-haired boy, the chief in this great procession. 
On palfreys near him rode his nurse and other 
female attendants. Behind them came a troop of 
brown-robed monks, who had charge of the money 
required for the expenses of the journey. Last 
of all followed another brilliant company of 
nobles, soldiers, and attendants with mules and 
horses laden with provisions and fodder for the 
beasts. 

The little prince, Alfred, who, at the age of five, 
thus set out on his first great adventure, was the 
fifth and youngest son of Ethel wulf, King of the West 
Saxons, and of his wife Osburgha, daughter of his 
cup-bearer Oslac, of the old kingly blood of the Jutes 
of Wight. Alfred was born in 849 at a royal villa 
near the old village of Wantage in Berkshire, where 

9 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

at that time thick forests of oak and beech covered 
the hills and downs. 

From boyhood Alfred was remarkable for his 
quick intelligence, and was more beautiful and grace- 
ful than his elder brothers. His generous and manly 
nature made him the pride of his parents and of the 
people of Wessex. Thus it came about that when 
only five years old he was chosen by King Ethel- 
wulf in preference to his elder brothers for special 
honour. 

It had long been the desire of the pious King 
Ethelwulf to make a pilgrimage to Rome, as was the 
custom of many kings and rulers of those times. 
He earnestly desired to offer his prayers at the 
shrines of the Holy Apostles, St Peter and St Paul, 
but the troubled state of his kingdom prevented 
him from setting out. So he determined to send 
ambassadors in advance to the Pope. With the 
royal embassy the King sent his youngest son 
Alfred, in order that the boy might receive the 
Pope's blessing. 

Swithin, Bishop of Winchester, to whose special 
care Alfred was committed on this journey, was 
no other than the famous saint, who gave his 
name to St Swithin's Day — July 15. The story 
is that after his death he was buried, as he had 
requested, "where the feet of the passers-by 
might tread and the rain of heaven fall." Pious 
monks afterward tried to remove his body to 

10 



The Boy Pilgrim 

Winchester Cathedral, but rain fell continuously for 
forty days. This they believed to be a sign of the 
saint's displeasure, and they gave up the attempt to 
move his bones. 

This story gave rise to the well-known saying: — 

"St Swithin's Day, if thou dost rain, 
For forty days it will remain; 
St Swithin's Day if thou be fair, 
For forty days tfwill rain na y mair. " 

It must have been with a sorrowful heart that 
Osburgha parted from her youngest son. Sad to 
say, Alfred was never to see his loving mother 
again, for she died before he returned to England. 

So on the appointed day the solemn embassy set 
out on the southern road. From a port on the 
Sussex coast they crossed the Channel, in one of the 
long-oared galleys of those days, to the coast of 
Flanders. Thence on horseback they passed through 
sunny France, the territory of Charles the Bald, 
grandson of the mighty Charlemagne. 

Along the old Roman roads the journey was easy 
and pleasant, but where the way lay through thick 
forests or across deep rivers and foaming cataracts, 
there were many dangers to be faced. Had the 
company been smaller or unarmed they would have 
been often in peril from the robbers, who in those 
days made their home in the deep forests or in the 
mountain caves. 

II 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

But to Alfred, who was so young that he did not 
understand those dangers or fear them, the journey 
seemed full of wonderful adventures. Many months 
were spent on the long and toilsome way. Some- 
times the cavalcade would come to a great monastery 
or to the castle of some powerful nobleman, and 
there they would rest for a few days. 

At last they reached the mighty chain of the Alps. 
Alfred could never forget his first vision of the 
great snow-capped peaks, gleaming radiant through 
the mists of morning. 

The travellers crossed the mountains by one of 
the great passes. This was the hardest part of the 
journey, for the way lay over fields of snow, jagged 
rocks and dangerous ravines. Sometimes the only 
road was a small path winding along the edge of a 
precipice. But the Alps were safely crossed, and 
after descending the pleasant southern slopes, gay 
with flowers of all hues, the cavalcade entered 
Italy. 

Through the fertile plain of Lombardy they 
journeyed, through Tuscany, the land of poetry and 
romance. At the many towns and villages through 
which they passed crowds of people would come out 
to gaze with curiosity at the English pilgrims and 
at the little fair-haired prince. But at last the long 
journey was over, and the solemn procession entered 
the gates of the Eternal City. 

After resting for some days at one of the many 
12 



The Boy Pilgrim 

inns provided for pilgrims in Rome, Alfred was 
taken by Bishop Swithin to see the Pope, Leo IV. 
It was with much awe that Alfred and his guardian 
approached the stately palace on the Vatican Hill, 
for in those days the Pope was the most powerful 
sovereign in the world, and had authority over kings 
and princes in all lands. On being admitted to the 
Pope's presence they found, instead of the haughty 
prelate whom they had trembled to meet, a friendly, 
white-haired old man, who received the boy prince 
with much kindness. Pope Leo gave Alfred his 
blessing, and anointed him with holy oil, as was his 
custom when receiving princes who might one day 
be kings. He then wrote to King Ethelwulf a letter, 
which still exists, telling of the boy's safe arrival 
in Rome. 

Though, according to some accounts, Alfred soon 
afterwards returned with Bishop Swithin to England, 
it is more probable that he remained in Rome until 
the arrival of his father more than a year later. It 
is certain that during the year Ethelwulf spent in 
Rome his youngest son was with him. 

Many were the strange sights seen by Alfred during 
his stay in the Eternal City. Processions of bishops 
and priests gorgeously arrayed in many coloured 
vestments; curious figures of white and black-cowled 
monks and nuns, and ragged bare-footed friars hurry- 
ing through the streets; streams of pilgrims from 
all lands carrying with them sick folk, who hoped to 

13 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

be healed at the shrine of the Apostle Peter. Troops 
of armed men waving banners and beating drums 
would also be seen entering or leaving the city, for in 
those days the cruel Saracens had invaded fair Italy, 
and Rome was in danger of attack. 



14 



CHAPTER II: A Thousand 
Years Ago 

MANY affairs of the kingdom had to be 
settled before King Ethelwulf could 
follow his youngest son to Rome. 

England was not then one kingdom. When the 
Angles, Saxons and Jutes came from the shores of 
northern Europe and settled in Britain they had 
many kings or leaders, and each ruled a separate part 
of the country. Hundreds of years passed before 
the smaller kingdoms became united into one, and 
during that time the different kings were continually 
at war with each other. All the tribes who settled 
in Britain came to be known by the common name of 
"English." Because of their great love of freedom 
they preferred to live not in walled towns, but in 
small isolated villages, or in solitary farms built in 
clearings in the forests. So when they took posses- 
sion of a town they burned its fine Roman buildings, 
and set up their own shabby mud or wattle dwellings 
outside the ruined walls. 

By Alfred's time, however, the dwellings of the 
English had been much improved. Most of the 
houses were built of wood, which could be obtained 
in abundance from the great forests. But to us 
their homes would have seemed very uncomfortable. 
Their furniture was very simple. Only kings and 
rich people had chairs with backs, and their wooden 

i5 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

beds were hard and without springs Servants and 
slaves slept on heaps of rushes or straw spread on the 
floor. Fire-grates and chimneys were unknown, and 
the fire was usually lit in the middle of a room. The 
smoke had to find its way out as best it might 
through the door, or through a hole in the roof, left 
on purpose. Candles were used only by the well-to- 
do, and the poor either went to bed at dusk or con- 
tented themselves with the light afforded by their 
blazing wood fires. Being quite ignorant of greater 
luxury, the English of those days were very happy 
with the few comforts they had. 

Much of their time was spent in the open air, and 
the boys and girls grew up strong and hardy, with 
long flowing flaxen hair, and blue eyes. Their 
ancestors on the plains round the Baltic Sea had 
been farmers, hunters and fishermen, so the English 
continued to follow these occupations for many 
years. Long before the coming of the English, 
Britain had been a famous grain-producing country, 
and farming continued to be a great industry. Our 
country could at that time produce more than suffi- 
cient corn to feed its inhabitants. 

Bee-keeping was also a very favourite occupation, 
for sugar being unknown in those days, honey was 
the only substance used to sweeten food. Many 
people obtained a livelihood by keeping swine, for 
herds of these animals could be fed very cheaply on 
beech-nuts and acorns in the forests. So pork was 

16 



A Thousand Years Ago 

eaten more than any other kind of animal food. 
Eels, which abounded in the streams and pools, were 
also much used for food, especially in the monasteries 
during Lent and other fasts. 

Even before Alfred's time the English had begun 
to engage in trade, and merchants from different 
parts of Europe came to do business in London. 
English ships went to the whale fishery in the North 
Sea, and vessels from Iceland and the farthest north 
of Scandinavia brought fruit and furs to the English 
markets. 

Though there were few manufactures, English 
goldsmiths, silversmiths, and jewellers were already 
famous, and many beautiful specimens of their work 
may be seen in the British Museum. Spinning, 
weaving, and dyeing were also carried on, and in 
each household, rich or poor, all the cloth required 
for family use was spun by the women. Even kings' 
daughters learned to spin, and so common was the 
occupation among women that the term 'spinster' 
arose, and is still applied to unmarried women. The 
girls of the family also learned to sew, embroider, 
and cook, while the boys assisted their fathers in the 
fields or accompanied them to the chase. 

That part of England south of the Thames where 
the West Saxons had settled was called Wessex, and 
in 827 Egbert of Wessex, the grandfather of Alfred, 
exercised power over all the other kings of England, 
and was acknowledged as their overlord or Bretwalda. 

i7 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

Peace and security now seemed in store for Eng- 
land by the union of its kingdoms under one ruler. 
Yet, when ten years later old King Egbert lay dying, 
he was troubled by dark forebodings as to the future 
of his country. Ethelwulf, his only son and succes- 
sor, had from youth preferred the company of priests 
to that of warriors, and was better fitted to enter a 
monastery than to rule a kingdom. Moreover, the 
dying King knew that fresh enemies were even then 
threatening England. 

A famous race of sea-rovers, the Vikings, or "Men 
of the Creeks," had attacked all the countries of 
Western Europe, and were now hovering round our 
shores. These heathen Norsemen or Danes were 
cruel and heartless robbers. So much were they 
dreaded that a litany of the time has the prayer, 
"Deliver us, O Lord, from the fury of the Norsemen." 

Their chief god was called Odin, whom they be- 
lieved to be an old man with one eye; he had bartered 
the other for the gift of wisdom. Many old Danish 
legends tell of his skill in poetry and magic. He was 
said to receive in a wonderful palace called Valhalla, 
"the Hall of the Chosen Slain," the souls of those 
slain in battle. There they led a life of fighting and 
feasting such as they had desired on earth. Their 
belief in Valhalla made them intrepid warriors, fear- 
less of death on the battle-field. 

The ships of the pirates were long, open boats, 
some of which held as many as a hundred men. In 

18 




THE COMING OF THE NORSEMEN 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

these vessels, which were well fitted for speed, they 
were masters of the sea, and every river and inlet be- 
came a highway for their advance into the heart of 
the country. Arriving when least expected, they 
would land in some undefended part of the coast and 
ravage the country. Men were tortured and mur- 
dered; women were driven into slavery; and it is 
said that the savage robbers would sometimes toss 
babes from pike to pike in grim sport. Then, before 
it was possible to muster a force to oppose them, the 
pirates would make a dash for the sea and sail 
away with their plunder. Even when the English 
did succeed in overtaking them, it was little that 
men straight from the plough could do against a 
body of trained warriors. 

The monasteries were the special prey of the 
Danes, not only because the gentle monks could not 
defend themselves, but because many people had 
given their wealth to the Church, so treasures such 
as gold and silver chalices, and books with jewelled 
bindings, were to be found there. Knowing this the 
Danes burned the monasteries, seized the treasures, 
and either slew the monks or drove them away 
homeless. 

After the death of old King Egbert, Ethelwulf 
roused himself to take the field against the Danes, 
and fought them in many battles, yet during his 
reign their ravages increased. Thus it was that 
some of Prince Alfred's earliest memories were of 

20 



A Thousand Years Ago 

anxious faces, days of panic, and hurried departures 
of his father and elder brothers whenever news came 
of the arrival of Danes on the coast. Often as he 
listened to the tales told by his mother and nurse of 
the greed and cruelty of the Danes, he would long 
for the time when he should be old enough to ride 
forth with the army to fight the savage robbers, and 
drive them from his country. 

Osburgha, the mother of Alfred, was a princess 
noble of heart as she was noble of birth. She it was 
who first told the boy wonderful tales of the heroes 
of past days and of their battles with men and 
monsters. From her he learned his lessons of valour, 
truth, and justice, without which no prince can be 
truly heroic. 

Asser, a Welsh monk from the monastery of St 
David's, who lived at Alfred's court after he became 
King, wrote a life of his royal master, in which he tells 
the following story of Osburgha: One day she called 
her sons to her, and showed them a Saxon book of 
poetry. 

"The one among you who can first say by heart 
the poems in this book shall have it," she said. 

Delighted with the beautiful coloured lettering in 
the book, Alfred, the youngest boy, exclaimed; "Oh 
mother, wilt thou really give it to the one who first is 
able to repeat it to thee?" 

Osburgha smiled joyfully and said: 

"Yes, to him will I give it." Alfred took the book 

21 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

to one of his teachers, and in due time brought it 
back to his mother and recited its contents. This 
book given by his mother remained among Alfred's 
most cherished possessions until the end of his life. 
Whether this story be true or not, it was probably 
Osburgha who taught her youngest son to love 
books and poetry. 



22 



CHAPTER III: King 
Ethelwulf s Pilgrimage 

WITH the help of his eldest son Athelstan, 
Ethelwulf at length so far defeated the 
Danes, that for a season they troubled 
not the coasts of Wessex. 

It was not until the spring of 855 that the King, 
who had been escorted through France by a guard 
provided by Charles the Bald, arrived in Rome. 
The little prince was probably taken by his attend- 
ants a day's journey to meet the King, and entered 
Rome with him. Great must have been the joy of 
Ethelwulf to find his favourite son safe and well, 
after so long a separation. 

Ethelwulf found Rome in mourning, for Pope 
Leo IV was dead. The brave old warrior Pope had 
done much to defend the city from the Saracens, 
causing a fortified wall to be built round the church 
of St Peter and the Vatican Hill. This part of 
Rome is still called the Leonine city in his honour. 
To the poor he had ever been a generous friend, 
and the people of Rome wept for him. 

Ethelwulf was received by the new Pope Benedict 
III. The costly gifts brought by the English King 
made him a welcome visitor at the Vatican palace. 
For the Pope he had brought a golden cross four 
pounds in weight, gold cups, and embroidered vest- 
ments. 

23 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

A year was spent by King Ethelwulf in Rome, and 
during that time he bestowed many generous gifts on 
the Church and on the poor of the city. There had 
been in Rome for many years a school where Saxon 
priests might be educated, but it had been destroyed 
by fire. Ethelwulf caused it to be rebuilt at his own 
expense, and also promised to pay a yearly sum to 
supply oil for the lamps of St Peter's Church at 
Eastertide. 

As Ethelwulf visited the many beautiful churches 
and holy shrines of the Eternal City he longed to 
remain there for the rest of his life, safe from the 
dangers that threatened his unhappy kingdom of 
Wessex. 

Before this time two West Saxon kings, Caed walla 
and Ina, had left their troubled kingdoms and retired 
to monasteries in Rome. The story of Caedwalla is 
thus beautifully and simply told by the monkJBede, 
in his history of the English Church: — 

"Caedwalla, King of the West Saxons, quitted 
his throne for the sake of our Lord and His heavenly 
kingdom, and set out for Rome, being desirous to 
obtain the peculiar honour of being baptized in the 
Church of the Blessed Apostle. There he was baptized 
on Easter Day, 689, by Pope Sergius I, and being still 
in his white garments he fell sick, and departed this 
life to dwell for ever with the blessed in heaven." 

But Ethelwulf chose the braver part when duty 
called him to return to his kingdom, and he at last 

24 



King Ethelwulf s Pilgrimage 

set out on the homeward way with Alfred and his 
attendants. Once they crossed the Alps and jour- 
neyed through France to the court of Charles the 
Bald, which was then at Verberie on the Oise, near 
Compeigne. 

There Ethelwulf remained for three months. 
Though he was now more than sixty years old, he 
decided to marry Judith, the eldest daughter of 
Charles. Poor Judith, who was only fourteen, was 
better fitted to be a playmate to Alfred than to be 
his step-mother. What could have induced the 
King to marry so young a wife is not known. Prob- 
ably he believed that the marriage would secure for 
him the help of Charles the Bald against the Danes. 
For the powerful King of the Franks would not be 
likely to suffer the humiliation of a kingdom over 
which his daughter reigned as Queen. 

The wedding took place on October 1, 856, the 
ceremony being performed by Hincmar of Rheims, 
the most powerful churchman outside Rome. After 
the wedding the girl-wife was placed on a throne by 
the side of her grey-bearded husband, and crowned 
as Queen. 

Soon after this Ethelwulf and his retinue set out 
for England, where in the meantime events im- 
portant to the fortunes of the old King and his young 
bride were taking place. 



25 



CHAPTER IV: Prince 
Ethelbald^ s Revolt 

DURING Ethelwulf 's long absence the people 
of Wessex, led by his son Ethelbald, 
had risen in revolt against his authority. 
His eldest son Athelstan, who had formerly ruled 
Kent but had retired to a monastery, was now dead, 
and Ethelbald his second son was heir to the throne. 
It is probable that soon after the King's departure 
on his pilgrimage, the bishops and nobles of Wessex 
had appointed Ethelbald regent for the whole 
kingdom. 

Now Ethelbald was a more warlike prince than 
his father, and much better fitted to protect the 
kingdom against the Danes. Many of the people 
of Wessex declared that they desired nothing better 
than to have him for their King, without waiting for 
the death of the pious Ethelwulf. This pleased 
Ethelbald very much, for he was a bold and head- 
strong youth, who cared more for power and flattery 
than for anything in the world. 

Among those who supported Ethelbald were 
Alstan, Bishop of Sherborne, and Eanwulf, Alder- 
man of Somerset. Alstan had been the trusted 
friend and companion of old King Egbert, and was a 
better soldier than a bishop. On several occasions 
he had taken the field at the head of a body of troops 
and fought with great bravery against the Danes. 

26 



Prince EthelbalcPs Revolt 

He honestly believed that Ethelbald was better 
fitted to rule Wessex than his unwarlike father. 

The conspirators met secretly in Selwood forest 
on the borders of Devonshire and Somerset, and 
took an oath to support Ethelbald against his father 
when the latter returned to England. Some time 
after this meeting, news of Ethel wulf's marriage with 
Judith and of her coronation as Queen reached Wes- 
sex. These tidings served to rouse the people of Wes- 
sex against their King as nothing else could have done. 
About forty years before this time the West Saxons 
had taken a solemn oath that no woman should ever 
again receive the title of Queen of Wessex. The last 
to bear this title was Eadburga, daughter of the 
great King Offa of Mercia, and wife of Brihtric, who 
had preceded Egbert as King of Wessex. 

Though Eadburga was very beautiful, she was 
heartless and cruel. Strange tales are told of her 
pride and insolence. It is said that whenever a 
noble of the court offended her, she asked her hus- 
band to put him to death. If Brihtric refused, she 
then gave the offender a cup of poison to drink. 
Now Brihtric had a dear friend called Worr, of whom 
Eadburga was jealous, and one day she made a 
poisoned cup for him. But Brihtric drank of the 
same cup as his friend, not knowing it was poisoned, 
so they died together. 

Then all the people of Wessex rose in revolt against 
Queen Eadburga, and drove her from the land. She 

27 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

fled across the seas and sought the protection of the 
great Emperor Charlemagne, who received her kindly, 
and made her abbess of a convent. But the quiet 
life among the gentle nuns could not change her 
nature. Soon her wicked deeds became so scandalous 
that Charlemagne was forced to dismiss her. She 
left the nunnery followed by one faithful slave, and 
wandered a beggar through the land. Many years 
later, travellers to the Italian city of Pavia told how 
they there saw Eadburga, a ragged,beggar woman,old 
and shrivelled, crying for bread in the streets. 

The West Saxons never forgave the crimes of that 
wretched woman. Thenceforth the very name of 
queen was hateful to them. When they heard that 
Ethelwulf, not content with the folly of marrying 
a child-wife, had dared to place Judith on the throne 
by his side, and cause her to be proclaimed Queen, 
their indignation knew no bounds. The revolt 
which had before been secret now became open, and 
many of those who had stood aloof from Ethelbald, 
holding his conduct to be undutiful, now went over 
to his side. They declared that Ethelwulf well 
deserved to lose his kingdom, for he had shown con- 
tempt for the customs and feelings of his people. 

Meantime Ethelwulf, Judith, and Alfred, with a 
long train of nobles, priests, and men-at-arms, were 
on their way to England. Their retinue was even 
larger and more magnificent than when they had set 
out, for Charles the Bald had sent a brilliant escort 

28 



Prince Ethelbaffls Revolt 

of Frankish nobles to accompany his daughter 
Judith to England. 

Alfred and Judith were in the highest spirits for, 
children as they were, no cares for the future as yet 
troubled them. To Judith, her first voyage across 
the Channel was full of new wonder and delight. 
She gazed with bright eyes on the white cliffs of 
Kent, and on the shores of that unknown country, 
now to be her home, toward which their vessel sped. 

But as King Ethelwulf approached his native land 
he became silent and thoughtful. Though he had 
not yet heard of the rebellion against his authority, 
he knew that difficulties were in store for him before 
the West Saxons would consent to recognize Judith 
as Queen. He knew, too, that in the event of their 
refusing to do so, trouble would arise with Charles 
the Bald, who undoubtedly expected his daughter 
to be Queen of Wessex, and who would avenge any 
insult offered to her dignity. The thought of the 
responsibilities of kingship also weighed heavily on 
the King, and once more he wished that he had 
decided to renounce all, and remain in Rome for the 
rest of his life. 

On the shores a large company had assembled to 
meet the royal travellers, for the people of Kent 
were still loyal to the old King. When Ethelwulf, 
with Judith and Alfred, stepped from the boat they 
were greeted with shouts of welcome. Banners 
waved, music played, and drums beat, until the 

29 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

King, encouraged by the outburst of loyalty, hoped 
against hope that all might yet be well. But 
Bishop Swithin of Winchester, who had come to 
meet them with a few of the nobles of Wessex, greeted 
the King gravely, and on perceiving Judith said: 

"A fitting welcome to the fair princess from the 
land of the Franks, wife of the King. " 

Ethelwulf frowned with displeasure on hearing 
these words, for at once he perceived that Swithin 
had refrained from greeting Judith as Queen. The 
shouts of welcome continued, however, as the King 
rode westward with his companions. But as they 
approached the borders of Wessex, stern faces might 
be seen here and there in the crowd, and some gazed 
angrily on Ethelwulf and the young princess, mutter- 
ing that they need not go far to find a king who 
would keep the law better than did this one. 

It was not long before the King discovered the 
state of affairs in his kingdom. Though more than 
half the people declared their readiness to support 
him against Ethelbald, the others had become com- 
pletely estranged from him, and had gone over to the 
side of the rebels. A few days after the King's 
return a meeting was held between the friends of the 
King and those who favoured Ethelbald. After 
much discussion the nobles decided that the people 
of Wessex had just cause for dissatisfaction, and that 
the power of Ethelbald was likely to increase as time 
went on, while that of the old King must diminish. 

30 



Prince Ethelbald^s Revolt 

Two bishops, of whom Alstan was one, were sent 
to Ethelwulf to inform him that his people were 
fully determined to uphold the laws of the kingdom 
at all costs, and that only by much bloodshed would 
he be able to remain King of the West Saxons. 
Many of the King's faithful subjects were eager to 
fight for him, and vowed that they would not rest 
until they had driven the undutiful Ethelbald from 
the country. The King replied with deep sadness 
that in spite of the wrong done him he could not 
take up arms against his own son. With heathen 
enemies hovering round their shores a terrible civil 
war must be avoided, at whatever sacrifice. 

Ethelwulf declared his willingness to divide the 
kingdom into two parts. The kingdom of Wessex, 
by far the most valuable, was to be given to Ethel- 
bald, the eastern portion, consisting of Kent, Surrey, 
and Sussex, which formerly had been ruled by the 
eldest sons of the Kings of Wessex, was to remain in 
the hands of Ethelwulf. This arrangement suited 
both sides, for in Kent, queens were still admissible, 
and it was better that Judith should reign as Queen 
of Kent than accept an inferior position in Wessex. 

So Ethelwulf, with Alfred and the princess, retired 
to Kent, and ruled that kingdom till his death. It 
is probable that his last years were rendered happier 
by this division than they would otherwise have 
been, for he retained all the dignity of a king and 
few of the responsibilities. He was free to spend 

3i 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

much of his time in the churches offering up prayers 
for himself and those dear to him. He also occupied 
himself in planning generous gifts to churches and 
monasteries, in acts of charity to the poor, and in 
entertaining pilgrims. 

The old King lived only about two years after his 
return from Rome. His son's treachery had been a 
severe blow from which he never fully recovered. 
He died on January 13, 858, and was buried at 
Winchester. 



32 



CHAPTER V: 'The Locusts 
of the Baltic* 

TO prevent strife after his death, King Ethel- 
wulf had left a will, decreeing that the 
kingdoms of Wessex and Kent should 
remain divided. Ethelbald was to continue ruling 
over Wessex, while Ethelbert, the next son, was to 
be king of Kent. If Ethelbald died childless, the 
third son, Ethelred, was to succeed him as king of 
Wessex, and after him, Alfred. By his will, Ethel wulf 
also provided "that one poor man out of every ten 
in the country, either native or foreigner, should be 
supplied with meat, drink and clothing by his suc- 
cessors, until the day of judgment, supposing, how- 
ever, that the land should still be inhabited by men 
and cattle, and should not become deserted." 

Ethelbald had gained much fame as a warrior even 
before his father's death, for he was a bold and fearless 
leader of his people. But he had been, as we have 
seen, a bad son, and after he became king lived a 
godless and evil life. He soon excited much anger 
among his subjects by marrying his stepmother, 
Judith. Those who had deserted his father to go over 
to Ethelbald's side now turned against the son, and 
all the bishops of Wessex denounced his marriage as 
scandalous. Good Bishop Swithin hastened to the 
presence of Ethelbald, and implored him to annul his 
marriage with Judith; but this the headstrong King 

33 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

refused to do, declaring that he cared nothing for the 
anger of his subjects. Fear of the Danes meanwhile 
prevented the West Saxons from driving Ethelbald 
from the throne, for his strong rule gave them peace 
from their cruel foes. His reign, however, was 
destined to be short. His death occurred in 860, 
only two and a half years after that of his father, 
Ethelwulf. He was buried in the Cathedral of 
Sherbrone, in Dorset. 

Though by Ethelwulf 's will, Ethelred should have 
succeeded to Wessex, the Witan, or Assembly of chief 
men, which then supplied the place of our Parlia- 
ment, decided that the union of Wessex and Kent 
under Ethelbert would ensure greater strength 
against the Danes. Ethelred seems to have been 
quite willing to surrender his claims, so Ethelbert 
was made ruler of both kingdoms. 

The new king, like his father, was peacefully in- 
clined, and during his reign of five years avoided 
taking the field in person against the Danes. Nor 
did he attempt to stop their ravages, which con- 
sequently were renewed. 

On a certain foggy night a few months after Ethel- 
bert came to the throne, a fleet of Danes arrived off 
the coast of Hampshire. Under cover of the darkness 
their galleys crept swiftly up the river Itchen, and 
anchored in a deserted haven. The raiders then 
disembarked, and made for the beautiful old city of 
Winchester, which was at that time the capital of 

34 



The Locusts of the Baltic 

Wessex, and the favourite place of residence of the 
West Saxon kings. 

The citizens were taken completely by surprise, 
and attempted little resistance. Houses were 
plundered, torn down, and burnt. Young and old, 
women and little children were slain without mercy, 
in their homes or in the open streets; even horses 
and dogs were cruelly butchered and left to die in 
agony. The cathedral was sacked, every priest 
massacred, and the treasures piled up in a great heap 
ready to carry off. Then loading themselves with 
their booty, the robbers set out for their boats, 
uttering loud shouts of defiance. 

Meantime, however, news of their arrival had 
spread abroad. Troops hastily mustered, and led by 
the brave aldermen of Hampshire and Berkshire, 
hastened to intercept the plunder-laden Danes before 
they could reach their boats. A fight took place, 
in which the robbers were completely beaten by 
the English archers and swordsmen. As Dane 
after Dane fell dead a panic seized the survivors 
and they fled in confusion, leaving their plunder 
behind them. The English pursued them along 
the coast. Only a few Danes escaped, for their 
boats had been discovered and most of them 
destroyed. 

Bishop Swithin was deeply grieved when he heard 
of the destruction of Winchester, his beautiful 
cathedral city. It is said that he never recovered 

35 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

from the shock which the news gave him, and he died 
shortly afterward. 

Alfred was now a boy of eleven. Though he was 
not yet old enough to join his brothers in fighting the 
Danes, he excelled in hunting and in all manly sports, 
and could wield the battle-axe better than any youth 
of his age in Wessex. The vast forests which then 
covered a great part of England were the home of 
many wild animals, including deer, wolves, badgers 
and wild boars; thus the chase in which Alfred de- 
lighted was a more dangerous pastime than it is 
in England at the present day. 

While Alfred had all a boy's love of adventure, he 
was also fond of study and eager to acquire learning. 
But after the death of St S within there were few 
learned priests in England, and the young prince had 
much difficulty in finding teachers. He, however, 
studied whenever he could find an opportunity, and 
carried about with him a Book of Hours in which 
were written the services of the Church. He had an 
excellent memory, and learned many prayers and 
psalms by heart. 

In 866 Ethelbert died, after a peaceful, mild, and 
honourable reign. He was succeeded by his younger 
and more warlike brother, Ethelred. Soon after 
Ethelred became king, the English were alarmed by 
the news that a huge fleet of Vikings was preparing 
to invade England. 

The pirates declared that one of their princes, 

36- 



1^ 





LFRED KILLS HIS FIRST WILD BOAR"— Page 36 



The Locusts of the Baltic 

Ragnor Lodbrog, had been shipwrecked on the coast 
of Northumbria, the most northerly kingdom of 
England, and had been cruelly put to death by Ella, 
king of that region. Ragnor, they said, had been left 
to die in a pit known as the Serpent Prison, which 
was full of snakes and other reptiles. But he scorned 
fear and pain, and while dying no cry escaped his lips. 
Instead, he sang a death-chant, in which he recited 
his many gallant deeds, and declared that he joyfully 
claimed a place among the heroes of Valhalla. 

"We fought with swords," he sang. "We 
journeyed from the distant Gothland, up the Vistula, 
across Europe to the Northumbrian land, to the Isles 
of the North, to the Irish plains. In the Scottish 
gulfs I gained large spoils for the wolves. We fought 
with swords. This fills me still with joy, because I 
know the banquet is preparing by the Father of the 
gods. Soon in the Halls of Odin we shall drink mead 
out of the skulls of our foes. A brave man shrinks 
not at death, and I shall utter no repining words as I 
approach the Palace of the gods. The Fates are 
come for me, sent by Odin from the habitation of 
the gods. There shall I quaff full goblets of wine. 
The hours of my life are numbered; I die laughing." 

The story of Ragnor 's death is probably quite 
untrue, but it served as an excuse for a great invasion 
of England, the Danes declaring that they would 
avenge the slaying of the hero, whose deeds had been 
their pride. So Vikings from the bays of Norway, 

37 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

Sweden, Denmark, Jutland, and Russia, assembled 
in their galleys to share in the revenge. The huge 
fleet was commanded by eight kings and twenty 
earls, the relatives of Ragnor Lodbrog. 

In the autumn of 867 they sailed for England, 
and landed on the shores of East Anglia, the kingdom 
which now forms the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. 
The terrified inhabitants made no attempt to oppose 
them, but immediately offered to make a truce with 
the raiders. On condition that they received a large 
sum of money and provisions for the winter, the 
invaders promised to do the East Anglians no harm. 
It was also agreed that the Danes should be pro- 
vided with English horses for their march north- 
ward in the spring. So the great army wintered in 
East Anglia. 

As soon as the weather became milder the Danes 
set out northward, and took possession of the city 
of York. At first the Northumbrians did little to 
defend their kingdom, where a civil war had raged 
for some years between King Ella and Prince Osbert, 
who was the rightful heir to the throne. But when 
the news spread that a heathen army had crossed 
the Humber and was spreading desolation on every 
side, the Northumbrian nobles begged Ella and Os- 
bert to forget their quarrels and unite for the defence 
of the kingdom. Inspired by terror of the invaders 
they consented after some delay to do so. 

Meantime the Danes continued their ravages, 

38 



The Locusts of the Baltic 

plundering and burning many churches and monas- 
teries throughout Northumbria. In early spring, the 
Northumbrians, led by the two kings and eight earls, 
ventured to make an attempt to retake York. The 
Danes, on hearing of their approach, hastily retired 
within the city walls, from behind which they 
prepared to defend themselves. But a large number 
of the English, following close on their heels, suc- 
ceeded in entering the city, and began to destroy the 
walls, which were badly built and very frail. 

The Danes, finding their only fortress in consider- 
able danger, then decided to force a way for them- 
selves through the ranks of the besiegers. On March 
21, 868, they suddenly sallied forth, and the English, 
taken completely unawares, gave way before them. 
A battle was fought in which the Danes gained a 
great victory. Among the slain were the two rival 
kings and many of the Northumbrian nobles. 

The whole of Northumbria was now in the power of 
the Northmen, for the inhabitants of that region 
had completely lost heart. The Danes set up a 
king of their own over the lands north of the Tyne. 
The southern portion of the kingdom they kept in 
their own hands, making it a rallying ground for the 
conquest of the South. 

Many Danish settlements were founded in North- 
umbria about this time, and descendants of the 
Northmen are still living in and around the city of 
York. 

39 



CHAPTER VI: Prince 

Alfred* s Marriage 

WHILE the Danes thus ravaged the lands 
north of the Humber, Wessex was left in 
peace. In 868, Alfred, who was then 
nineteen, was betrothed to Elswitha, the daughter of 
Ethelred, a powerful alderman, the ruler of a part 
of Lincolnshire. 

Ethelred was the chief of a tribe called the Gaini, 
a name which Gainsborough, in Lincolnshire, still 
preserves. He bore the honourable surname of 
Mucel, or the Great, because he was 'great of body 
and old in wisdom.' On her mother's side Elswitha 
was connected with the royal family of Mercia, the 
middle kingdom of England. 

In Alfred's time the marriage ceremony consisted 
of two parts, the betrothal and the giving away. 
The suitor had first to discuss with the bride's parents 
what he would pay them, if allowed to wed their 
daughter. In addition to the sum paid to the bride's 
father, it was the custom for the bridegroom to make 
a present to the bride herself, which, in the case of 
queens, often consisted of a residence and consider- 
able estates. When all these matters had been 
settled, and the agreement signed before witnesses, 
the giving-away ceremony might take place, though 
months, and in some cases years, elapsed between 
this and the betrothal. 

40 



Prince Alfred } s Marriage 

Alfred's marriage was celebrated in Mercia, prob- 
ably at the house of the bride. At the giving-away 
ceremony a bishop was present to bless the union. 
He solemnly united the bridal pair, warning them 
that they were now to share each other's lot, in weal 
and woe, in peace and war. Most faithfully did 
Alfred and Elswitha keep to their vows throughout 
the thirty years of their married life. The prince 
had chosen wisely, for Elswitha proved a noble and 
devoted wife. The sufferings which she and Alfred 
underwent together in later years, through the pres- 
sure of the Danish invasions, only served to bind 
them more closely to each other. 

Innumerable guests attended the wedding cere- 
monies. The festivities lasted for four days, and 
there was great rejoicing throughout Mercia and 
Wessex. Banquets were given at which there was 
much feasting, and enormous quantities of mead were 
drunk. Many entertainments were provided for 
the guests. Famous poets were invited to give 
recitations accompanied by music, for which they 
received liberal rewards. At that time the chief 
musical instrument was the harp, on which nearly 
every one except slaves could perform. It was the 
custom for travelling minstrels to wander from feast 
to feast relating to the rhythm of their harps the great 
deeds of our English forefathers. No doubt some of 
these old bards were present at Alfred's wedding. 
Flutes, pipes and fiddles were known in those days, 

4i 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

so we may be sure that there was no lack of music to 
enliven the entertainments. 

In the midst of the wedding festivities the bride- 
groom was suddenly taken ill, and fell on the 
floor moaning with pain. The guests, in great 
alarm, crowded around him. Some whispered that 
it was an evil omen, others declared that he 
had been poisoned or struck down by some evil 
spirit. 

His physicians were unable to discover the nature 
of his malady, but it was generally supposed to be the 
unexpected return of a painful disease from which he 
had suffered in his boyhood. Though Alfred soon 
recovered, he was subject to these sudden attacks of 
illness throughout the remainder of his life. Often 
he suffered so much pain from them that he despaired 
of living. 

The following strange story is told by Asser concern- 
ing Alfred's malady. "From boyhood the prince had 
been the victim of a painful disease. One day when 
he was hunting in Cornwall he turned aside to pray 
in a little chapel in the midst of a forest. While there, 
he earnestly entreated God of His mercy to heal him 
of the disease, which threatened to unfit him for his 
duties as a ruler. At the same time he declared his 
willingness to suffer from some other malady which 
would not prevent him from labouring for the welfare 
of his people. His prayer was heard, for the disease 
departed from him, and, in its stead, he was afflicted 

42 



Prince Alfreds Marriage 

with the malady which first attacked him at his 
wedding." 

Though we cannot tell how far this story is true, 
it is probable that Alfred saw in his malady an afflic- 
tion sent from heaven to arm him against temptation. 
In spite of his bodily weakness his strong will enabled 
him to work all his life with untiring zeal for the good 
of others. 

Soon after Alfred's wedding, news reached Wessex 
that the Danes had left Northumbria and were now 
invading Mercia. There were strong reasons why 
this news should cause deep anxiety to King Ethelred 
and his brother. Their only sister Els witha had been 
married at the age of fifteen to Burhred, King of 
Mercia. The marriage had been celebrated at 
Chippenham with much pomp, and had caused great 
joy to the people of Wessex, for the two kingdoms 
thus became united by the closest ties. 

The Danes had no sooner appeared in Mercia than 
Burhred sent to implore the help of his brothers-in- 
law. Immediately on receiving the message Ethelred 
mustered an army, and, with his brother Alfred, 
marched to Burhred's assistance. The opportunity 
to fight the Danes which Alfred had so long and 
ardently desired seemed to have come to him at last. 
We can imagine how eagerly he set out with the army 
on the march northward. 

But a disappointment was in store for him. They 
found the Danes in a fortified camp at Nottingham. 

43 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

The men of Wessex, joined by the Mercians, en- 
camped in the neighbourhood, ready to do battle as 
soon as their enemies should advance into the open. 
But many days passed and the Danes remained 
behind their strong entrenchments. Meantime, 
the hired army of the Mercians melted away, and 
Burhred weakly decided to make peace with the 
Danes by offering them a large sum of money. 

The cruel robbers took the money, and promised 
to leave Mercia in peace, but there was little hope 
that they would keep their word. Ethelred and 
Alfred then disbanded their army, and returned 
home with sinking hearts. Now they knew that 
their own kingdom of Wessex must ere long become 
the prey of the invaders. 



44 



CHAPTER VII; 

St Edmund King and Martyr; 
The Battle of Ashdown 

AFTER their conquest of Northumbria and 
Mercia the Danes marched through the 
country, plundering and burning all the 
great abbeys and churches. Among other famous 
monasteries, those of Croyland, Peterborough, Ely 
and Huntingdon, were levelled to the ground, and 
the monks and nuns murdered. 

At Coldingham, beyond Berwick, there was a great 
abbey of nuns. The poor sisters wept bitterly when 
they heard of the approach of the Danes. They 
feared that when their Abbey had been destroyed 
they would be carried off and forced to marry the 
cruel robbers. This they dreaded more than death, 
for they had dedicated their lives to God. So St 
Ebba, the holy Abbess, told the nuns to cut off their 
noses and upper lips. When the barbarians arrived 
and saw the frightful faces of the nuns they no longer 
desired them for wives, but, before plundering the 
abbey, they slew all the unhappy nuns with the 
sword. 

Outside Peterborough Cathedral there stood for 
many centuries a monument called 'The Monk's 
Stone. 5 It was placed over a pit in which were 
buried eighty monks of the monastery, all slain by 
the Danes in 870. 

45 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

Though the Danes had promised to leave East 
Anglia in peace, they did not keep their word. That 
kingdom was then ruled by Edmund, a noble Chris- 
tian king who had inherited the crown when he was 
only fifteen years old. He was now thirty, and 
during the fifteen years of his reign had laboured 
for the welfare and happiness of his people. To the 
poor he gave generously, and all who went to him in 
trouble were received and helped. At Hunstanton, 
in Norfolk, then a small village, he caused a royal 
tower to be built, and there he often retired to en- 
joy solitude and to study. 

But though King Edmund was generous and brave 
he was no warrior, and did not encourage his people 
to fight the Danes. Moreover, as the kingdom of 
East Anglia was nearly surrounded by water, having 
the sea on the north and east, and great stretches of 
marshland on the west, Edmund believed that it 
was secure from the invaders, or, at the worst, could 
be defended easily. 

So when, in the spring of 870, a fleet landed 20,000 
Danes on the coast of East Anglia, the inhabitants 
were quite unprepared to meet them in battle. King 
Edmund succeeded, however, in mustering a small 
body of troops, with which he advanced to Thetford, 
in Norfolk, and there they fought bravely against 
the savage invaders. But his small force was soon 
cut down, and he was obliged to retreat. The King 
determined to sacrifice no more lives in a hopeless 

46 



St Edmund King and Martyr 

struggle, so he disbanded his army. He then retired 
to his castle of Framlingham, in Suffolk. 

The Danes sent messengers to King Edmund 
offering him his life and liberty if he would renounce 
Christ, worship the heathen god Odin, and govern 
under Danish supervision. To this message Ed- 
mund replied: "Go, tell your commander that I 
am neither terrified by his threats nor deceived 
by his promises. Destroy my frail body if you will; 
never will I submit to a pagan creed! It is more 
honourable to defend our liberties with our lives 
than to buy mercy with tears!" 

The Danish leaders were furious on receiving this 
answer, and marched to seize the King. Edmund 
fled to a place called Hoxone, on the river Waveney, 
where he concealed himself all day under a bridge. 
In the evening the glitter of his golden spurs caused 
him to be discovered by a newly married couple, 
who were returning home by moonlight, and who 
betrayed him to the Danes. It is said that in the 
midst of his sufferings he poured forth a dreadful 
curse upon every couple who should afterwards cross 
the bridge on their way to or from their wedding. 
So long did the memory of this story linger, that, 
rather than go over the bridge, the newly married 
preferred to proceed by a more winding and tedious 
way. 

Edmund was bound with chains and brought be- 
fore the Danish chiefs. His life was again offered 

47 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

to him on the same terms as before, but he indig- 
nantly refused to save himself at the cost of deny- 
ing his faith. He was then beaten with cudgels and 
bound to a tree. The infidels amused themselves 
by using him as a mark at which to shoot, until his 
body was covered with arrows, but they cruelly re- 
frained from inflicting a mortal wound. When they 
had tortured him until they were tired, they cut off 
his head and threw it into a thicket. 

Forty days later his head was found between the 
paws of a wolf. It was said that a pillar of light 
miraculously guided the seekers to the spot where 
it lay. It was buried with his body at the place 
now called Bury St Edmund's. That ancient town 
still bears on its coat of arms the King's head 
between the paws of a wolf. 

More than a hundred and fifty years later, Cnut, 
a brave and noble Danish king, who then ruled 
England, founded a Benedictine Abbey at Bury 
St Edmund's in honour of the martyr King. 

Humbert, Bishop of the East Angles, who had 
crowned St Edmund and who was his faithful friend, 
was also murdered by the Danes about the same 
time that the King was slain. 

The Vikings, having subdued all England with the 
exception of Wessex, now determined to attack that 
brave little kingdom. From the shores of East 
Anglia they embarked in their galleys, and sailed 
up the river Thames to the town of Reading, which 

48 



The Battle of Ashdown 

they seized. In the angle between the Thames and 
its tributary, the Kennet, where they were protected 
by water on three sides, they fixed their camp. From 
this place they sent out detachments of soldiers to 
ravage and plunder the neighbouring districts. 

In spite of the disasters which they had suffered 
in former years from the cruel invaders, the spirit 
of the men of Wessex was not broken. At the 
call of King Ethelred they mustered loyally to his 
standard. 

A large force under Ethelwulf, the alderman of 
Berkshire, met the Danes at Englefield, a few miles 
from Windsor. A furious battle raged, but the 
Danes were at last completely defeated and one of 
their kings slain. This victory gave great en- 
couragement to the English. 

Meantime Ethelred and Alfred advanced at the 
head of a large army, and soon after the victory at 
Englefield ventured to storm Reading. But the 
Danes, suddenly 'bursting out of the gates like 
wolves,' drove the English in headlong flight before 
them, and pursued the fugitives along the river banks 
nearly to Windsor. On the way the brave alderman, 
Ethelwulf of Berkshire, was slain. 

After this the Danes left Reading and made a 
raid along the Thames valley. It was now their 
intention to subdue the whole kingdom and to plant 
Danish settlements there. At a place called Ash- 
down, supposed to be the White Horse Hill in Berk- 

49 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

shire, was fought one of the greatest battles in the 
history of the Danish invasions. 

Ethelred and Alfred had rallied their beaten troops, 
and determined to make a desperate effort to save 
the kingdom. The Danes were first on the field, 
and chose the best position, on a height in the ridge 
of Berkshire Downs, while the army of Ethelred and 
Alfred lay at some distance below them. 

The Danes divided their army into two parts. 
The larger portion was commanded by their two 
kings, Bagsec and Half den, and the smaller by the 
earls. Ethelred and Alfred also divided their forces. 
It was decided that King Ethelred and his men 
should attack the two pagan kings, while Alfred and 
his troops fought the division commanded by the 
earls. 

King Ethelred was at early mass in his tent when 
a message was brought to him that the Danes were 
advancing to the attack. "I will serve God first and 
man afterwards," he said, and he ordered the service 
to continue until the last word had been said. 

Alfred, who was already in his place at the head of 
his division, waited long for his brother, but still he 
came not. Meantime the Danes were moving down 
the hill-side, and it was certain that if the English 
remained where they were they would soon be driven 
down by the onslaught of the enemy. 

So Alfred took the command himself, and at the 
head of his troops pushed uphill 'like a fierce wild 

5o 




ALFRED AT ASHDOWN 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

boar.' Near a stunted thorn bush, which for long 
afterward marked the place of their collision, the 
hostile armies met, with a great crash of spears and 
shields. Above the Danish host floated the famous 
banner of the Raven, which was said to have been 
woven by three princesses in a single day. The 
Sacred Bird was said to flutter its wings when victory 
was certain, but hung motionless and drooping when 
defeat was threatened. 

A long and desperate conflict followed, but at 
length Alfred with his men broke the Danish lines 
and the enemy gave way and fled. King Bagsec, 
five earls, and over a thousand Danes were slain. 
King Ethelred only arrived in time to join in the pur- 
suit, which was continued until the following day. 
Thus the glory of the victory was Alfred's alone. 
The English pursued the retreating Danes to Read- 
ing and slew all who lagged behind on the way. 

In memory of this great victory the men of Berk- 
shire have ever since preserved on the northern 
slope the figure- of a White Horse cut deep in the 
chalk, out of the crisp turf of the downs. At inter- 
vals the White Horse is cleansed of weeds and rub- 
bish, and may be seen from a great distance gleam- 
ing in the bright sunlight. 

Though this victory had checked the power of the 
Danes they were by no means crushed. During the 
next few months they were strengthened by fresh 
arrivals from the shores of the Baltic, and soon gained 

52 



The Battle of Ashdown 

new victories at Basing, in Hampshire, and at 
Merton, in Surrey. 

At the latter place King Ethelred was mortally 
wounded and died at Eastertide of the same year, 
871. His death was followed by the election of his 
brother Alfred to the throne of Wessex. 



53 



CHAPTER VIII: Long 
Live the King! 

ALFRED at the age of twenty-two came to 
the throne of his ancestors in a dark hour. 
The supremacy of Wessex, won by his 
grandfather, Egbert, over the rest of England, 
had vanished, and the greater part of the country 
was in the power of the Danes. Alfred would 
gladly have refused the crown, but he knew 
that no other leader of royal blood was avail- 
able to take his place. Though Ethelred had left 
two little sons, their tender age caused the 
Witan to put aside their claims, for in those days 
it was the chief duty of a king to lead his troops 
to battle. 

So Alfred buried Ethelred, the last of his brothers, 
in Wimborne Cathedral, in Dorset, and then, sad at 
heart, hurried northward to prepare once more to 
meet the enemy. It was no time for idle weeping 
nor even for coronation festivities, much as the 
people of Wessex rejoiced at the accession of their 
favourite prince. 

The first weeks of Alfred's reign were spent by him 
in efforts to raise and train fresh troops, for many of 
his finest soldiers and bravest leaders had been slain. 
The whole fighting force of the kingdom, known as 
the 'fyrd,' was now organized by Alfred on a better 
system. In order that there might be less difficulty 

54 



Long Live the King! 

in raising troops at short notice, he ordered that 
half the men should always be ready to fight while 
the other half remained at home. 

A month after his brother's death, King Alfred 
and his troops met the enemy on a hill near Wilton, 
in Wiltshire. After a long and fierce fight the Danes 
unexpectedly turned and fled. But their flight was 
only a pretence to deceive the King's men, and, 
suddenly turning on their pursuers, they killed a 
large number of them. 

This year (871) had been a terrible one for 
Wessex. South of the Thames nine great battles, 
and skirmishes without number, had been fought 
against the Danes. The beautiful country once so 
prosperous was now ruined and desolate. No corn 
had been sown, neither had the burnt houses been 
rebuilt, and there was poverty and distress on every 
hand. 

Thus does an ancient writer describe the incur- 
sions of the fierce invaders: "If the Danes were 
sometimes defeated, victory was of no avail, in- 
asmuch as a descent was made in some other 
quarter by a large fleet and a more numerous force. 
It was wonderful how, when the English kings 
were hastening to encounter them in the eastern 
districts, before they could fall in with the enemy's 
band a hurried messenger would arrive and 
say: 'Sire king, whither are you marching? The 
heathen have disembarked from a countless fleet on 

55 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

the southern coast and is ravaging the towns and 
villages, carrying fire and slaughter into every 
quarter.' 

"The same day another messenger would come 
running and say : ' Sire king, whither are you retreat- 
ing? A terrible army has landed in the west of 
England, and if you do not quickly turn your face 
toward them, they will think you are fleeing and 
follow in your rear with fire and sword/ 

"Again the same day, or the morrow, another 
messenger would arrive, saying, 'What place, O 
noble chief, are you making for ? The Danes have 
made a descent in the north; already they have 
burnt your mansions, even now they are sweeping 
away your goods; they are tossing your young 
children on the points of their spears; your wives 
they have carried off for slaves.' 

"Bewildered by such various tidings of bitter woe 
both kings and people lost their vigour both of mind 
and body, and were utterly cast down, so that even 
when they defeated the enemy victory was not 
attended with its wonted triumphs and supplied no 
confidence of safety for the future." 

At length Alfred decided that, for the sake of his 
unhappy people, he must make peace for a time with 
the Danes. He offered them a large sum of money 
on condition that they would leave Wessex. As the 
invaders had suffered heavy losses themselves they 
agreed to accept the money which the King could so 

56 



Long Live the King! 

ill afford to give them, and departed northward. So 
for the next four years Wessex was free from their 
invasions. 

The Danish army crossed the Thames and entered 
London, which was then the capital of Mercia. As 
Alfred had made peace with the invaders he was 
too honourable to break his word, and therefore 
could not go to the help of his brother-in-law. 
King Burhred, who had lost all hope and courage, 
did not attempt to oppose his fierce enemies, but 
at once offered them all the money he had if they 
would leave his kingdom. The Danes took the 
money and departed to Northumbria, but it was 
not long before they returned and demanded more. 
The unfortunate King Burhred was now helpless, 
for he had no more money to give them and his 
soldiers refused to muster at his call. So he decided 
to give up the struggle. 

One dark night, Burhred, disguised as a poor 
pilgrim, stole from his castle and made his way to the 
coast. There he found a ship on which he embarked 
for Flanders, and thence journeyed on foot to Rome, 
desiring only to end his days in some peaceful 
monastery far from the trouble and strife which 
vexed his unhappy kingdom. 

Ill and weary from the toils of the long journey, 
Burhred at last reached Rome, but he arrived only 
to die. He was buried in the Church of St Mary, 
which was attached to the Saxon College. " There," 

57 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

says and old chronicle, "he awaits the coming of 
the Lord and the final resurrection of the just." 
His wife, Elswitha, found refuge with her brother, 
King Alfred, in Wessex. Some years later she, 
too, set out on a pilgrimage to Rome to visit the 
tomb of her husband, but she died on the way, 
at Pavia. 

The Danes placed on the throne of Mercia a king 
of their own choice named Ccelwulf, a weak and 
foolish man, who had been one of Burhred's thanes. 
Ccelwulf was allowed to rule only on condition that 
he obeyed the Danes in all things. To raise tribute 
for the robbers he cruelly oppressed his people. At 
length, when the Danes had wrung all the money 
they could out of the people of Mercia, they drove 
Ccelwulf from the throne, and left him to die in 
poverty. 

The four years during which Wessex enjoyed peace 
were spent by King Alfred in building a navy. He 
saw that as long as the Saxons possessed no fleet 
they could have little chance of success against a 
nation of sea-rovers. So he commanded boats and 
long-galleys to be built at every seaport in his 
kingdom, and exerted himself to find trained crews 
for them. To teach his men seamanship he even 
engaged the services of some of the pirates, who did 
not care for whom they worked so long as they were 
well paid. 

It took a long time to build enough galleys to 

58 



Long Live the King! 

fight the huge Danish fleet, and at first Alfred's navy 
must have been very small and modest. In the 
year 875, however, Alfred ventured to attack seven 
small Danish ships in the Channel. One of these he 
captured, and his galleys chased the other a long 
way out to sea. 

In the following year (876) the Danes divided their 
great army into two parts. One part went north to 
harry the countries beyond the Tyne, while the other 
marched to the coast and embarked for the south on 
board the fleet. 

One day news was brought to King Alfred that a 
huge force of Danes had suddenly landed in Dorset, 
and seized Wareham. There they took up their 
position in the angle between the rivers Frome and 
Trent, in one of their usual water-girt camps. Alfred 
lost no time in marching against them, at the head 
of the whole levy of Wessex. He surrounded their 
camp on every side, blockading them so closely that 
none could get out to seek provisions. Very soon 
there was no food in the Danish camp, and the 
robbers became so hungry that their leaders were 
forced to ask for terms of peace. 

King Alfred knew that the Danes were not to be 
trusted, and that there was little hope of their keep- 
ing any promises they might make. However, he 
invited the leaders to a solemn meeting, at which he 
and his chiefs chose as hostages some of the most 
distinguished men in the Danish army. It was 

59 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

agreed that these men should remain with Alfred, 
and that their lives should be forfeited if the Danes 
did not keep their promises. 

The King then told the Danish leaders that he 
would allow their army to pass only on condition 
that they promised to leave Wessex, and to trouble 
his kingdom no more. To this they readily agreed. 
Alfred then ordered a casket containing the relics 
of Christian saints to be brought to him. On this 
he and his chiefs laid their hands, and solemnly 
swore that they would allow the Danes to depart 
in peace. 

The King knew, however, that the pagans cared 
little for oaths sworn on the relics of Christian saints, 
and he determined to make them swear according to 
their own heathen customs. So he placed on a table 
a sacred bracelet smeared with the blood of animals 
sacrificed to their gods, and commanded the Danes 
to lay their hands on it while they swore to leave his 
kingdom in peace for ever. He knew that this was 
a form of oath which the Northmen usually held 
as binding. When this ceremony had been duly 
performed and they had called on the God of the 
Christians and on the gods of the pagans to witness 
their oaths, the meeting broke up. 

But the Danes were too dishonourable and shame- 
less to care even for the solemn oaths they had 
sworn. On that same night, no sooner was the King 
off his guard than all the invaders who had horses 

60 



Long Live the King! 

made asudden sally, and slipped past the English 
lines. Riding day and night without stopping 
they entered and took possession of the old city 
of Exeter, where they established themselves for 
the winter. 



61 



CHAPTER IX: A Great 
Naval Victory 

IN the middle of the night on which the Danes 
broke their oath and set off for Exeter, King 
Alfred was roused from sleep by his indignant 
thanes, who loudly denounced the treachery of the 
robbers. What was to be done? The chief s crowded 
around the King and declared that they could fight 
no more. The best and bravest had been slain in 
battle, their homes were ruined, their lands desolated. 
It were better to give up the struggle and let the 
enemy work their will on the unhappy kingdom. 

The King sat listening in silence. Not once did he 
interrupt, as leader after leader stepped forward 
and told the tale of his sufferings and wrongs. It 
was all true, and the King knew it. When the last 
man had ceased speaking there was a prolonged 
silence. Alfred still sat as if lost in thought. At 
length an old thane touched him on the shoulder, 
and whispered that they awaited his decision. 
Would he give orders to disband the army? 

The King started as if suddenly awakened from a 
dream, and rose to his feet. His eyes, in which burned 
a strange fire, travelled slowly over the faces of the 
silent Saxon chiefs, scanning them closely. At last 
he spoke. 

"You wish to know my purpose," he said. "It 
is this : as long as one man stands by me, as long as 

62 



A Great Naval Victory 

I possess a single galley, as long as life remains in me, 
I shall continue to defend my country and to hope 
for victory!" 

As he concluded a youth sprang forward and knelt 
at the King's feet. " And I, O King, will follow thee 
to victory or to death," he said. A loud cheer broke 
from the others, and fired by the young thane's 
example, they, one by one, came forward and, kneel- 
ing, tendered once more their allegiance to the hero- 
hearted king. 

On the morrow the whole Saxon army, led by 
Alfred, set out in pursuit of the Danes, and had little 
difficulty in tracing them to Exeter. The whole 
country was now on the alert, and the trembling 
villagers hastened to give all the information they 
could about the route taken by the enemy. 

On arriving before the walls of Exeter the King 
ordered his troops to surround the city as they had 
done at Wareham, and so prevent any of the Danes 
escaping to seek provisions. For some weeks, how- 
ever, the Northmen were able to obtain food by 
plundering the city. They had good hopes too that 
the division of their army which had remained at 
Wareham would send a fleet to their relief. This 
would have had little difficulty in reaching them, 
since Exeter is built on the navigable river Exe, 
and is not far from the sea. 

Succour might be expected, too, from other quar- 
ters, for all along the coasts the sea swarmed with the 

63 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

galleys of bold pirates who watched only for an 
opportunity to sail up the river Exe. 

Alfred dispatched hurried messengers to the com- 
manders of his navy, which, during the last two 
years, had increased considerably in strength. The 
King's orders were that his ships should be manned 
immediately by all the most daring sailors who were 
acquainted with the coast, and that the vessels 
should cruise in the Channel to watch that no trans- 
port ships laden with provisions or troops came to 
the help of the Danes in Exeter. If they appeared, 
they were to be driven back, and if the English com- 
manders considered they had any chance of victory 
they had permission to engage in a sea fight. 

The King's orders were strictly carried out. Never 
for one hour during the months that followed did 
the commanders relax their vigilance in watching 
the coast. At length, sure enough, in the spring of 
877, the Danish garrison at Wareham embarked in 
120 vessels, and sailed westward along the coast to 
carry relief to their besieged countrymen in Exeter. 

A thick fog overhung the coast, and the Danes 
had not proceeded far before they were overtaken 
by violent storms. For a whole month the pirate 
fleet was tossed about within half a mile of the shore, 
which they vainly attempted to regain. Many of 
the vessels were disabled by the violence of the 
tempest, and their broken rigging had to be thrown 
overboard. 

6 4 



A Great Naval Victory 

At length, when they had been driven back to a 
place near Peveril Point, on the coast of Dorset, where 
dangerous reefs run out into the sea, the commanders 
of the Saxon fleet determined to attack them. The 
moment was well chosen, for the Viking fleet, shat- 
tered by storms, was unable to defend itself. Many 
of those on board were slain, and as the battle con- 
tinued the Danish vessels were driven nearer and 
nearer to the dreadful cliffs. On the rocks off Swan- 
age they struck at last with a terrific crash; the 
intrepid pirates went down with their ships, fighting 
to the last. Fragments of wrecked vessels strewed 
the seas for many miles. Thus the great Danish 
fleet, with its army of many thousands on board, 
was buried beneath the waves. 

Meantime the Danes, besieged in Exeter, were 
still depending for help on the squadron which they 
expected would come to them from Wareham. Day 
after day they watched the mouth of the Exe, their 
anxiety increasing as the time passed, and their 
stock of provisions decreased. Famine at length 
forced the Danish leaders to sue for terms of peace. 
Once more they made solemn vows, declaring that 
if King Alfred would allow them to depart from 
Exeter they would trouble Wessex no more. 

The King consented, and in August 877 the Dan- 
ish garrison, weak and exhausted from famine, passed 
the Saxon lines on the way northward. So reduced 
were the Danes in numbers and in strength that this 

65 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

time they were forced to keep their word, and to 
retreat from Wessex. One division of their army 
set out for Mercia, while the other advanced to 
Gloucester. At the latter place they were joined 
by fresh swarms of Northmen who had landed in 
Wales for the purpose of plundering the poor Celts 
of that country. 

King Alfred now believed that his kingdom of 
Wessex was safe from invasion for at least some time 
to come. So he ordered the Wessex fyrd to disband, 
and the men returned to their homes. 

Winter, cold and drear, settled over the country. 
Roads became impassable from the snows and heavy 
rains, and towns and villages were cut off from com- 
munication with each other. But to the sea-robbers 
whose chief highway was the ocean, this mattered 
little. 

Meantime the Danes, finding that they could get 
little booty from the poor mountaineers in Wales, 
determined to return south. The western portion 
of Wessex had up to this time been spared, and there 
many flourishing towns and villages remained to be 
plundered. 

This time they planned to invade Wessex from 
two points at once, one army marching from the 
north, while another embarked in twenty-two war- 
galleys for the coast of Devonshire, where they 
landed. So unexpectedly did they arrive that the 
men of Wessex knew nothing of their approach, 

66 



A Great Naval Victory 

until the news spread abroad that the terrible 
enemy was again in their midst. 

From the coast of Devon the invaders marched to 
a strong fortress known as Kynwith Castle, where 
many of the King's followers under Odda, Count of 
Devonshire, had taken refuge. As the walls of this 
castle were very strong, the Danes determined not to 
assault it, but to surround it on all sides. The cruel 
robbers knew that there was no spring of water 
within the castle gates, so that the garrison would 
soon be forced by thrist to surrender. The pagan 
host sat down to drink and feast, while the brave 
Saxons within the castle, encouraged by Count 
Odda determined to hold out as long as they could. 

All night the sound of boisterous revelry continued 
to reach the Saxons from the Danish camp. Towards 
morning the uproar ceased, for the Danes, over- 
come by their carousals, had fallen into heavy sleep. 
A spy sent by Count Odda crept silently from the 
gates to the enemy's camp, and on his return reported 
that the guards were asleep at their posts, and that 
no watch was kept. 

Without delay the Saxons armed themselves, and, 
issuing from the castle, bore down upon the sleeping 
Danes. The pagans were taken completely by sur- 
prise and 1200 of them slain. Only a few stragglers 
in a wild flight reached their ships, which were drawn 
up at no great distance. They left behind them not 
only much booty, but also the famous standard of 

67 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

the Raven, which fell into the hands of the West 
Saxons. 

This, however, was the last victory won by the 
men of Wessex for many a day, and long before 
news of it reached King Alfred nearly the whole 
of his kingdom was again in the power of the 
Danes. 

On the banks of the river Avon, in Wiltshire, 
stands the town of Chippenham, which in Saxon 
times was a great centre of trade. There, too, was a 
strong fortress where the King frequently resided. 
The invading host, which had advanced from the 
northwest, strengthened by many Danes who had 
joined it from Mercia, suddenly advanced into 
Wiltshire and seized the castle. Having established 
themselves there under their leader, Guthrum, who 
had been made Danish king of East Anglia, they sent 
out raiding parties to different parts of the kingdom. 
Once more homesteads were burned, churches and 
monasteries destroyed, towns and villages sacked. 

"The robbers," says an old chronicle, "spread like 
locusts over the country, where none resisted them, 
and took possession of it for themselves." 

Meantime, King Alfred made efforts to raise the 
fyrd, but the messengers sent by him throughout the 
country were nearly all captured and murdered by 
the enemy. The darkest hour for Wessex had come 
at last. The people, depressed, spoiled and scattered, 
could no longer defend themselves, and to the enemy 

68 



A Great Naval Victory 

the conquest seemed complete. Worst of all, Alfred 
had disappeared, and a rumour, which chilled the 
hearts of his people, spread throughout the country 
that the King had fled from Wessex and was on his 
way to Rome. 



<5p 



CHAPTER X: Alfred's 
Adventures in Athelney 

THE rumour that Alfred had deserted his 
kingdom in its hour of greatest danger was 
entirely false. Nothing could have been 
farther from his purpose, for he alone among his 
people had not lost hope, nor did he ever cease to 
form plans for fresh efforts against his enemies. 

In the midst of the great marsh of Sedgemoor, in 
Somersetshire, now intersected by drains and ditches, 
is a small eminence covering about two acres of 
ground, near the junction of the rivers Parret and 
Tone. At that time the spot was frequently trans- 
formed into an island, when an incoming tide swept 
up the Bristol Channel, turning the peat bogs and 
swamps into broad lagoons. The rising ground, 
which was afterwards named Athelney, or Prince's 
Island, was at such times very difficult to reach 
except in a small boat, or even then only by those 
well acquainted with the marshes. It was covered 
by a great wood of alders, in which roamed stags, 
goats, and other animals. 

In this desolate spot, Alfred, with his wife and 
family and a few faithful followers, had taken refuge. 
There they erected some rude fortifications, and 
built wooden huts in which they lived for several 
months, enduring many hardships from the cold 
and scarcity of food, as supplies were difficult to 

70 



Alfreds Adventures in Athelney 

obtain. The King's life was in constant danger, 
for at this time it is believed that numbers of his 
own subjects were offended with him for the stern 
measures he had adopted to raise money and troops 
against the enemy. Some of these would have 
betrayed him willingly to the Danes, but the poor 
peasants of Somerset, who knew this place of retreat, 
refused to do so, even for the large sum of money 
which they would thus have obtained from the 
invaders. 

It was the month of January when the royal 
fugitives took refuge in the marshes, and they re- 
mained there until May. Such valuables as they 
had been able to save had been taken with them. 
In the year 1693, more than 800 years after Alfred's 
sojourn in Athelney, a wonderful jewel was found 
there. It was discovered at Newton Park, in 
Somersetshire, near the river Parret, somewhat to 
the north of the spot where the island and fortress 
of Athelney were formerly situated. 

This jewel, which is now in the Ashmolean Museum 
in Oxford, is believed to have formed part of the 
royal sceptre, and was probably lost by Alfred in the 
days of his homeless wanderings. It consists of an 
oval-shaped polished crystal about two inches long, 
and half an inch thick, covered with a mosaic enamel 
of green and yellow, representing a sitting figure, 
holding a lily in each hand. Some have supposed 
that the figure represents Christ or one of the early 

7i 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

English saints; others think that it is merely a 
representation of the King himself. 

The back of the crystal is covered with gold, 
engraven with a flower. Round the oval-shaped 
sides is a border of beaten gold, on which may be 
read the remarkable words in early English: 

^tlittb met \\t\l $t\stj*vtmt. 

(Alfred ordered me to be made) 

The letters are all in capitals and of the same form 
as those in manuscripts known to have been written 
in Alfred's time. Where the gold border is joined, 
it is finished by a beautifully worked dolphin's head 
in gold, of which the empty eye-sockets must once 
have contained precious stones, and from whose 
open jaws a gold pin protrudes. The pin probably 
served to fasten the jewel to a staff or sceptre. 

Many wonderful stories are told of King Alfred's 
adventures during his wanderings in Athelney. 
Most of these tales were written down long after 
the events related in them happened, and it is now 
difficult to separate fact from legend. It seems 
probable that some of the many adventures recorded 
happened to Alfred not during his stay in Athelney, 
but at other periods in his life. Many of the tales 
are taken from the songs of the old bards, who used 
to wander from feast to feast, relating the wonder- 
ful deeds of Alfred and other great heroes. 

One day when Alfred was out on a foraging ex- 

72 



Alfred's Adventures in Athelney 

pedition in the forest, he was overtaken by a storm, 
and found shelter in a hut. This hut was the home 
of a faithful cowherd, who had kept the secret of the 
King's concealment even from his wife. During her 
husband's absence the wife was employed in baking 
cakes, and she gave Alfred permission to sit by the 
fire. From the shabby appearance of the stranger 
she took him for a poor serf or one of her husband's 
mates, and she ordered him to mind the cakes while 
she went to look after the cattle. 

But as Alfred sat mending his bow and arrows and 
meditating on the troubles of his country, the cakes 
began to burn. When the cowherd's wife returned 
she scolded him for not removing them from the fire. 

"You will not trouble to look after the cakes, 
though you will be quick enough to eat them," she 
said. 

Some writers state that the name of the loyal 
cowherd was Denewulf. Alfred had first met him 
while wandering in the forest, and on entering into 
conversation with the man was struck by his re- 
markable intelligence. The King afterward caused 
him to be educated, and he rose to be Bishop of 
Winchester. It is well known that a certain Denewulf 
who had risen from a very humble position, became 
Bishop of Winchester in 879. But as it seems unlikely 
that he could have risen in so short a time, his first 
meeting with the King most probably occurred be- 
fore Alfred's sojourn in Athelney. 

73 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

From what we know of Alfred we may be sure 
that the hospitality he received from the poorest of 
his subjects during the days of his wanderings was 
not forgotten or left unrewarded when his kingly 
rights were restored to him. 

Once during these months, Alfred is said to have 
left Athelney, and journeyed in disguise to Corn- 
wall, to take counsel with the holy hermit, St Neot, 
who dwelt in the solitude of a mountain cave. 
St Neot, who is supposed to have been related to 
Alfred, was a deformed dwarf, so small that he could 
not reach the altar without standing on a stool. 
Alfred is known to have visited this hermit on more 
than one occasion, though it is uncertain that he 
did so during his stay in Athelney. 

The next story reads like a fairy tale, although 
the events related in it are not altogether impossible. 
One day, when King Alfred was hunting in the forest, 
he heard the cry of an infant, which seemed to come 
from a tree, so he dispatched some of his servants 
to seek for the child. They climbed a great tree, 
and on the top, in an eagle's nest, found a beautiful 
male child clothed in purple, with gold bracelets on 
his arms. They hastened to bring the infant to the 
King, who caused him to be baptized and cared for. 
The foundling was named Nestigus in memory of 
the singular place of his discovery. It is said that on 
reaching manhood he rose to great honour in the 
land. 

74 




"ALFRED PLAYING A HARP IN THE DANISH CAMP"— Page H 



Alfred's Adventures in Athelney 

During his stay in Athelney, King Alfred was care- 
fully planning a great campaign against the Danes 
as soon as the time should be ripe for action. But 
he was uncertain of the strength of the enemy, 
and did not know what force it would be neces- 
sary to muster before he could venture to meet 
them. As he could trust no one but himself to 
count his foes, he decided to visit their camp at 
Chippenham. 

The King, who was a skilful musician, disguised 
himself as a harper and set out with one attendant. 
Having made their way safely through Selwood 
Forest to Wiltshire, they reached the Danish camp. 
Guthrum, the Danish chief, little suspecting who the 
minstrel was, invited him to remain for some days 
in the camp, and to give entertainment by playing 
and singing. The King did so, and was thus able 
not only to learn the numbers of his enemies, but 
also to obtain much valuable information concern- 
ing their plans of attack. 

Perhaps the most beautiful story among those 
related of Alfred's stay in Athelney is that known 
as the Legend of St Cuthbert. One cold winter's 
day all Alfred's followers had gone out to fish, leav- 
ing only himself, his wife, and one faithful servant. 
While the King sat reading the Psalms of David, 
endeavouring thus to find consolation in his trouble, 
there came to the door of the hut a poor pilgrim who 
begged for food. 

75 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

"What food have we in the house?" asked the 
King of his servant. 

"My lord, we have but one loaf, and a little wine," 
was the reply. 

"Give half the loaf and half the wine to the 
pilgrim," said the King. 

The servant did as the King commanded, and the 
pilgrim departed, giving grateful thanks. Soon 
afterward the servant wondered exceedingly on see- 
ing that the loaf was unbroken and the pitcher of 
wine full to the brim. The King, too, marvelled how 
the pilgrim had come and departed, for he had no 
boat. 

In the evening, the King's followers returned very 
joyful, for they had taken so great a catch of fish that 
their boats were full. That same night there 
appeared to the King in a dream an old black- 
haired man clothed in priest's garb and with a mitre 
on his head. In his right hand he held a book of the 
gospels adorned with gold and gems. 

"I am Cuthbert, the soldier of Christ," he said. 
"To you I came this day in the guise of a poor 
pilgrim begging for alms. Be of good cheer, for your 
charity is remembered before God, Who will soon 
give you the victory over your enemies." 

St Cuthbert then told the King that if he would 
repair to a certain spot on the following day he 
would find a band of faithful followers ready to fight 
for him. 

7 6 



Alfred's Adventures in Athelney 

Next morning the King rose early, crossed over to 
the mainland in a boat, and blew his horn three times 
as St Cuthbert had directed. The sound inspired 
his friends with courage and filled the hearts of his 
enemies with terror. By noon, five hundred gallant 
warriors gathered around him, and soon he led them 
on to victory. 

St Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who died in 
687, and to whom Durham Cathedral is dedicated, 
had been honoured by Alfred as his particular saint. 



77 



CHAPTERXI: The Turn 
of the Tide 

THE coming of spring in the marshes of 
Athelney awoke new hope in the hearts 
of Alfred and his faithful followers. During 
the winter months the King had been laying his plans 
carefully. Soon after Easter, which in that year fell 
on March 23, he sent messages to the men of Wes- 
sex: "Let every man, who is not worthless, come." 

At first many people refused to believe that this 
summons came from the King whom they had sup- 
posed dead, or fled over the seas. Everywhere 
throughout the country the Danish arms had con- 
quered, and the peasants, too much dispirited to 
make further resistance, were turning to Odin and 
Thor, the gods of the pagans. During that dreary 
winter the English had given up hope of happier 
times, and it would be a hard task to rouse them 
once more to fight for the deliverance of their coun- 
try. To many, a renewal of the struggle seemed 
but a forlorn hope. All this the King knew, yet 
he never despaired. 

The place appointed for the rendezvous was near 
a huge rock known as Egbert's Stone (now Brixton), 
lying in a secluded grove east of Selwood Forest, 
which at that time formed the boundary between 
Devonshire and Somerset. Alfred knew that this 

78 



The Turn of the Tide 

place could be reached easily by forest paths un- 
known to the Northmen. 

Early in the month of May 878, the King left 
Athelney with the little band of those who had 
remained loyal to him, and rode to the place of 
meeting. With him rode Ethelnoth, alderman of 
Somerset, who, with a small force, had joined the 
King at Athelney. 

On reaching the place of meeting, Alfred ordered 
the Golden Dragon of Wessex to be unfurled above 
his tent, and in the evening beacons were lighted on 
the neighbouring hills. The King's courage did much 
to sustain his weary followers, though a rumour had 
reached them that few troops would rally to the 
royal standard. Events were to prove, however, 
that Alfred had not hoped in vain, for the certainty 
that he was still alive was sufficient to fill the men of 
Wessex with renewed courage. 

During the days that followed, one after another 
of the nobles of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire 
arrived at Egbert's Stone with their men, and placed 
themselves at the King's service. 

When Alfred appeared among them to review 
the assembled troops, he was greeted with loud 
shouts of welcome. The sight of the hero-king whom 
they had supposed dead awoke all the old enthusiasm 
in the breasts of the soldiers. It seemed as though 
they could never gaze on him long enough to satisfy 
their eyes. Once more his matchless courage inspired 

79 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

them to heroic deeds, and they were ready as of old 
to follow him to death. When Alfred addressed to 
them a few words of kindly encouragement, express- 
ing his confidence in their loyalty, cheer after cheer 
echoed through the forest. 

Yet the army mustered was small compared with 
that of the Danes, and Alfred knew that his only 
chance of success was to take the enemy by surprise. 
It was agreed that they should advance immediately 
on the Danish camp, not by the high roads, which 
were probably watched, but by less frequented ways 
through the forests. 

Their first day's march brought them to Iglea, now 
Westbury, in Wilts, where they encamped for the 
night. At daybreak on the following morning they 
continued their way, a march of six miles bringing 
them in sight of the Danish camp. The enemy lay 
encamped on a hill at Ethandune, now Edington, in 
Wilts. An attack from the conquered and dis- 
pirited Saxons was the last thing they expected. 

So when the Saxon army, led by the great King 
himself, suddenly appeared round a bend on the hill- 
side, the terrified Northmen could scarcely believe 
their eyes. Arming themselves as hastily as pos- 
sible, however, they prepared to meet their foes with 
all their old daring. 

King Alfred ordered his troops to advance in a 
close mass holding their shields in front of them, and 
they thus succeeded in keeping together in spite of 

80 



The Turn of the Tide 

the fierce onsets of the Northmen. The battle began 
in the afternoon and lasted till sunset. The Saxons 
fought as they had never fought before, spurred on 
to deeds of valour by their royal leader 'whose look 
shone like that of a shining angel in battle.' It was 
a desperate encounter. Each side fought with the 
knowledge that on the result of the battle depended 
the whole future of England. But at last victory 
was on the side of Wessex. The Danish lines broke, 
and the Northmen fled in disorder. 

The sun set that night on a Wessex victorious and 
free. The danger that England would become a 
pagan land was over for ever. Many Northmen were 
taken prisoners, and many more were slain. The rest 
fled from the battle-field. The men of Wessex 
followed up their success by a swift pursuit. The 
fugitives reached a fortress, which is believed to have 
been on Bratton Hill, near Edington. Into this 
stronghold they threw themselves, and were soon 
surrounded by the victorious Saxons. For fourteen 
days the siege continued. The Northmen had been 
given no time to lay in provisions, and they were 
without hope of help from without. Vanquished 
by hunger, cold and misery, the Danes soon implored 
Alfred to raise the siege. A message was sent to 
the King from Guthrum the Danish leader, humbly 
offering to agree to any terms which the King might 
grant. 

The great King, touched with pity for his enemies 

81 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

in spite of the wrongs they had done him, consented 
to relieve them. This time he knew that they had 
been too badly beaten to break their oaths for a long 
while to come. Alfred took as many hostages as he 
pleased from the Danish army, though they did not 
require any from him. To show still further that he 
was sincere in his wish to make peace, Guthrum 
declared that he wished to be baptized as a Christian. 
Most probably his reason was that the god of the 
Saxons had proved stronger than Odin, and he wished 
to serve the more powerful God. But his request 
also meant that he and his followers wished to 
give up their wild life and to settle down in that 
part of England, which was still theirs by right of 
conquest. 

King Alfred was filled with joy on hearing the news. 
He at once withdrew his troops to the village of Aller 
in Somerset, and allowed the Danes to issue from 
their fortress to seek supplies. Seven weeks after 
the battle of Edington, Guthrum, with thirty of the 
Danish chiefs, arrived at Alfred's camp at Aller to 
receive baptism. It must have been an impressive 
sight when Guthrum and his thirty bearded warriors 
knelt at the baptismal font. 

In the church of St Andrew at Aller, there is still 
shown a very ancient Saxon font, in which, accord- 
ing to tradition, Guthrum and the thirty Danish 
nobles were baptized by Ethelred, Archbishop of 
Canterbury. King Alfred stood godfather to his old 

82 



The Turn of the Tide 

enemy Guthrum, who received the Christian name of 
Athelstan. Following the custom of the time, bands 
of white linen, called the chrismale cloths, were bound 
round the heads of the newly baptized Danes, and 
were worn for eight days. 

After the ceremony, the Danes accompanied Alfred 
to Wedmore in Somerset, where the King had a sum- 
mer palace, and where he had ordered the Witan of 
Wessex to assemble. There the Danes were most 
honourably entertained by the King for twelve days. 
On the eighth day, the ceremony of removing the linen 
bands known as the 'chrism loosing' took place, and 
was performed by Alderman Ethelnoth of Somerset. 
The next step was the drawing up of an agreement 
known as the Treaty of Wedmore between Alfred, the 
West Saxon Witan, and all the people of Wessex on 
the one hand, and Guthrum, his army, and all the 
Danes who had settled in East Anglia on the other. 

In making this treaty, Alfred set aside his own 
ambition, and acted for the good of his people, who 
had suffered much from the long wars. By con- 
tinuing the struggle he might have made himself 
King of all England, but he knew that peace would 
be the greatest benefit he could bestow on the land. 

In Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia, the 
Danes had now been settled for many years, and the 
noble-hearted King, instead of thirsting for revenge 
for the wrongs they had done him, consented to allow 
them to remain there. A frontier line was drawn 

83 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

between the country ruled by the Danes and the 
kingdom of Alfred. This line answered in the main 
to Watling Street, the old Roman road which led 
from London to St Albans, and continued in a north- 
westerly direction to Wroxeter, near Shrewsbury. 

It was agreed that the Danes should hold Nor- 
thumbria, East Anglia, and the northern half of 
Mercia, while Alfred ruled the southern half of Mercia, 
Wessex, and Kent. The Danes living in these terri- 
tories were to have equal rights of justice with the 
English, and the penalty for injuring an Englishman 
or a Dane was to be the same. 

Soon after this treaty the Danes went to Cirencester 
in Gloucestershire, where they were allowed to winter, 
though the place was within Alfred's territory. Be- 
fore their departure the generous King loaded them 
with presents. Some accounts state that all the 
Danes who refused to become Christians set out for 
Gaul under the leadership of Hastings, a great sea- 
king. 

In the part of England where the Danes settled 
many of the inhabitants at the present day are 
descendants of the old Vikings, who were once such 
fierce enemies of the English. Their part of the 
country became known as the Danelagh because the 
Danish law prevailed there. You may know where 
they lived by looking on the map of England for the 
names of places ending in 'by' which was the Danish 
word for town. Thus Kirkby, Derby, Grimsby, etc., 

84 



The Turn of the Tide 

were Danish settlements, while the words 'ham,' 
'thorp,' and 'ton' mark Saxon names. 

Alfred was too prudent to seek to change the laws 
of that part of Mercia which now fell under his rule. 
He allowed the Mercians to have their own Witan, 
as they had had in the time of King Burhred and 
appointed as alderman, Ethelred, a nobleman of the 
old kingly house of Mercia. To him Alfred gave in 
marriage his eldest daughter Ethelfleda, who must 
at that time have been scarcely ten years old. This 
princess was much beloved by the people over whom 
her husband ruled, and became known later as the 
Lady of Mercia. 

The peace between Alfred and the Danes, although 
it was broken many times, became in the end a real 
blessing to the whole country. By degrees the Danes 
and English became bound together by the ties of 
religion and trade. Many Danes married English 
wives, and settled down peacefully in the country, 
and the two races which had come originally from 
the same stock gained much from each other. 



85 



CHAPTER XII : King Alfred's 

Laws 

DURING the five years of peace that followed 
the battle of Ethandune, King Alfred set 
himself an even harder and nobler task 
than the deliverance of Wessex from the Danes. He 
determined not only to repair the ruin caused by the 
invaders, and to reform the army and navy, but 
also re-establish j ust law and government. Towards 
this he laboured with unwearied patience, proving 
himself a great statesman, the shepherd of his 
people. Though the King was young in years — he 
was now thirty — he was old in experience, and the 
reforms made by him were to be solid and lasting. 

Everywhere throughout the country, towns and 
villages lay in blackened ruins. No sooner had Alfred 
got rid of Guthrum and his army than he ordered 
the restoration of all the forts and strong places 
in Wessex. Well did he know that though the Danes 
who had settled in England under Guthrum might 
keep the peace for a time, there was constant danger 
that fresh swarms of invaders might arrive from 
Scandinavia. 

In the very first winter after the peace of Wedmore 
had been made, an army of pagans under the sea-king 
Hastings wintered at Fulham, which was then a small 
village on the Thames. They were joined by many 
bold deserters from Guthrum's army , men who refused 

86 



King Alfreds Laws 

to lead a peaceful life. Fortunately, however, the 
greater number of the Danes remained quietly at 
Cirencester, and refused to join the unruly spirits. 
So the Danes at Fulham, seeing little chance of 
victory if they made another attack on Wessex, 
especially as the King was taking active measures for 
the defence of his kingdom, gave up the project and 
sailed for Ghent in Flanders. 

Alfred sent to different countries in Europe for 
skilled masons and other workmen to instruct his 
people in making fortifications. Many wooden 
buildings were now replaced by stone ones, which 
were much stronger to resist the attacks of enemies 
than had been the old fortresses. 

So the castles held by the King himself soon began 
to rise steadily from their ruins, rebuilt with all the 
newest improvements. But to persuade the nobles 
to undertake the rebuilding of their strongholds was 
no easy task. The Saxons, who were by nature 
sluggish and indolent, refused to see the necessity 
of setting to work, now that peace had been made 
with the Danes. 

At first Alfred reasoned with them patiently, re- 
proving their slowness and indifference. Though 
many were thus won over to his side, and induced to 
begin the work, others refused to proceed with it at 
all. When some years later another Danish invasion 
actually took place, the nobles who had refused to 
rebuild their castles bitterly regretted not having 

87 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

followed Alfred's advice, and confessed that he had 
been wiser than they. 

On the whole, however, the work was well done, 
as was proved in the next Danish war. Then the 
enemy, instead of taking cities and castles at a rush 
as formerly, was obliged to lay siege to them. So 
well prepared were the Saxon garrisons by that time, 
that long before they were in danger of being forced 
to surrender, the King usually arrived with an army 
and delivered them. 

Alfred's next task was the reform of the army. 
He drew up a list of the whole fighting force of his 
kingdom, and divided the men into three divisions. 
Of these, one division was constantly on duty day and 
night for one month. After that the men returned 
to their homes, and were replaced by the second 
division. At the end of the second month the third 
company relieved the second, who returned to their 
homes, where they spent two months until their 
time for service again came round. No military 
service was required of any man beyond three months 
in every year, so that in time of peace none of the 
companies were on duty during the three winter 
months. Of these on duty part were sent to guard 
the fortresses, while the others usually remained 
with the King as his body-guard, and were carefully 
drilled and instructed in military art. Some writers 
think that the King supported the company on duty 
out of his own purse. 

88 



King Alfred's Laws 

Alfred also increased the number of thanes or 
nobles, and decreed that all who possessed 400 acres 
of land might be raised to the rank of nobles at the 
royal pleasure. Merchants who had distinguished 
themselves by making three voyages overseas at their 
own cost might also be elevated to the rank of nobles. 
King Alfred further laboured to improve the navy 
of Wessex. He was determined that in case of 
another Danish invasion, the Saxons should be fully 
prepared to meet the enemy by sea, on which they 
were even more skilful and successful than on land. 

Alfred ordered new vessels to be built from a model 
which he had designed himself. They were larger 
and higher than those of the Danes, and had forty, 
sixty, or sometimes even more oars. They were also 
steadier and swifter than the older vessels. Up to 
this time the King's fleet had been manned by sailors 
from many different nations, Italians, Franks, 
Greeks, and even Danes being engaged. Now, how- 
ever, he caused Saxons to be trained as seamen. 
They were not long in acquiring great skill in the 
naval art, for their ancestors had been mighty sea- 
men in ancient times. 

In the year 882, some of the King's ships had an ex- 
citing adventure in the Channel. For several weeks 
four Danish pirate vessels had been hovering round 
the English coast, watching for a chance to land. 
The King hearing of this decided to swoop down on 
them suddenly with a few of his vessels. The pirates 

89 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

were taken completely by surprise, and made off as 
fast as they could. Alfred gave chase, and succeeded 
in capturing two of them. The commanders of the 
other two surrendered after a desperate struggle. 

During the Danish wars all law and order had dis- 
appeared throughout the country. Thieves infested 
the roads, and none might venture abroad with 
safety after nightfall even in the towns and villages, 
for the law was powerless to protect honest men 
against robbery and murder. Even if the thieves 
were caught, it was often impossible for those who 
had been robbed to obtain justice, the judges being 
bribed by the thieves to side with them against the 
innocent. 

Alfred was determined to put an end to this state 
of lawlessness, and to restore order and justice in his 
kingdom. He therefore made for his people a Code 
of Laws, copies of which still exist. The King was too 
wise to impose new laws on the Saxons. He only 
revised and improved those which had been in use 
in earlier times. He thus laid the foundation of our 
great British constitution, the growth of which, ex- 
tending over many centuries, has moved slowly on 
until it is as strong as it is at this day. Alfred col- 
lected together in his Code whatever seemed right 
and good in the laws drawn up by the early kings, 
especially from those made by Ina of Wessex, Offa of 
Mercia, and Ethelbert, the first Christian King of 
Kent. 

90 



King Alfreds Laws 

Many of these laws had been derived from Pagan 
customs, but it was the King's aim to show all just 
law to be founded on the law of God, as made known 
to us in the Bible. His Code, therefore, begins with 
the Ten Commandments and contains many passages 
from the Bible. He also quotes Christ's own words: 
"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, 
do ye even so to them;" and declares his belief that 
by this one command a man may test whether his 
acts be right, and need require no other law-book. 
The introduction to Alfred's Code closes with these 
words : — "I, Alfred, King of the West Saxons, showed 
these laws to all my Witan, and they all seemed good 
to them to hold." 

In its attempt to give equal rights of justice to 
rich and poor, Alfred's Code showed a great advance 
on the laws formerly in use. The King also deter- 
mined that justice should be rightly administered. 
Many unjust judges were dismissed by his orders 
from office, and some were even put to death. 

Alfred found that many old aldermen who presided 
as judges over the shire courts were quite ignorant of 
the law. To one judge who confessed his ignorance 
the King said : "I am astonished at your great bold- 
ness, that you, who by God's favour and mine have 
been entrusted with the office and rank of a judge, 
should have neglected entirely the studies and labours 
of your calling. You must either resign your office, 
or apply yourself diligently, as I require of you to 

9i 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

obtain wisdom." Thus many nobles and officers of 
high rank set themselves to be instructed like school- 
boys, by men much younger than themselves, rather 
than resign their positions. 

Formerly fines had been imposed for nearly every 
offence, but when people were too poor to pay them 
there was no method of forcing them to do so. Al- 
fred introduced the punishment of imprisonment for 
certain offences, which answered much better, 
though fines were still imposed when the accused 
persons could pay them. 

When one man killed another, the kinsman of 
the murdered man was expected to seek out the 
murderer and slay him. One way out of this was for 
the murderer to pay weregeld, or the price of the 
murdered man, to his next of kin. After this sum 
was paid no further vengeance was taken on the 
murderer. The King had the highest weregeld. His 
life was valued at 120 pounds, equal to the value of 
six thanes, or thirty-six coerls or peasants. 

When a man was accused of crime he might free 
himself by getting twelve men to swear to his 
innocence. Failing this, he was put to trial by or- 
deal, a curious ceremony, the observance of which 
continued until the reign of John, four hundred 
years after Alfred's time. 

There were two kinds of ordeal. The fire ordeal 
required the accused person to take in his hand a 
red-hot iron of several pounds weight, or to walk 

92 



King Alfreds Laws 

barefoot and blindfold over red-hot ploughshares. 
If he could show at the end of a certain number of 
days that he had received no hurt, it was supposed 
that God had borne witness to his innocence. 

The water ordeal consisted in plunging the bare 
arm into boiling water, or casting the accused person 
into a river or pond. If he floated without swimming 
he was declared guilty, as this showed the presence 
of an evil spirit, but if he sank he was acquitted. 
Trial by ordeal was conducted by the priests, who 
were often bribed by the accused person in order 
that he might come through it without injury. In 
cases when criminals could afford to pay a large 
sum, it is probable that neither the ploughshares nor 
the water were as hot as they appeared to be. 

The following curious passages are taken from a 
list of penalties imposed by the King for certain 
offences: 

Tf a man burn or hew another's wood without leave 
let him pay for each great tree five shillings, and 
afterwards for each smaller tree as many as there 
be five pence, and thirty shillings in all.' 

Tf anyone steal so that his wife or children know 
it not, let him pay forty shillings as penalty. But 
if he steal with the knowledge of all his household, 
let them go into slavery. A boy of ten may be privy 
to a theft. He that steals on Sundays, Easter, or 
on Holy Days, or during Lent, must pay a double 
fine.' 

93 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

'If a dog bite or tear a man, for the first misdeed 
six shillings; for the second, twelve shillings; for 
the third, thirty shillings. If the dog do more mis- 
deeds the man must go on paying, or else put away 
the dog.' 

The result of Alfred's labours to enforce justice 
was a great improvement in the character of his 
people. So firmly did he put down robbery that 
it was declared a traveller might lose his purse full 
of gold and find it untouched at the end of a month 
on the same spot; or that golden bracelets might 
be hung at the cross-roads, with confidence that 
no passer-by would dare to remove them. 



94 



CHAPTER XIII: The Danes 
Again 

WHILE Alfred thus nobly laboured for the 
good of his people by spreading new 
order and light throughout his kingdom 
the war clouds were again gathering. 

During the years that England had enjoyed peace 
the Danes had overrun France and Flanders, bringing 
ruin and desolation to these countries. Hastings, the 
mighty sea-king, sailed up the Loire with a great fleet, 
and held the whole river in a state of blockade. 
Paris was also besieged, and though the city was 
not taken, the surrounding country was laid waste. 
At length King Louis III of France made a treaty 
of peace with Hastings, and the Danes consented to 
leave the neighbourhood. Some of them sailed 
to the mouth of the Rhine, near which they were 
defeated in two great battles by the troops of the 
Emperor Charles the Fat. The Danes then decided 
to leave these plundered districts and to seek others 
to which during their absence peace and prosperity 
had been restored. 

Their army was accordingly divided into two 
parts, one of which proceeded to ravage the country 
that is now Belgium, while the other, accompanied 
by many horses, crossed the English Channel from 
Boulogne, and landed in Kent in the summer of 
884. They then prepared to besiege Rochester 

95 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

Castle, which was at that time an important fortress 
guarding the estuary of the river Medway. To 
defend themselves during the siege they began to 
build great fortifications, with huge mounds of earth 
for ramparts. This work occupied some time, for it 
was their intention, after taking the castle, to settle 
down in that part of Kent. 

Meantime, however, the Saxon garrison within 
the castle defended themselves bravely, and suc- 
ceeded in sending word to Alfred of the arrival of 
the Northmen. The King lost no time in hastening 
with all speed to Rochester at the head of an 
army. 

As their defences were still unfinished, the Danes 
did not dare to make a stand against the English 
army, but fled to their ships and sailed away as fast 
as they could. Many unable to escape were taken 
prisoners, and a large number of horses also fell into 
the hands of the English. 

The doors of the old Cathedral at Rochester, were 
afterwards covered with the skins of slain Danes, 
who had been robbers of churches, and are said to 
have been flayed alive by the English. Hundreds 
of years later, pieces of the Danes' skins still re- 
mained on the Cathedral doors. 

Up to this time the Danes who had settled in 
East Anglia under Guthrum-Athelstan, had not 
joined the invaders, though King Alfred soon had 
reason to doubt their good faith. Of the Danes 

06 



The Danes Again 

given to Alfred as pledges of peace after the Treaty 
of Wedmore, several had died, and others had escaped 
to join their countrymen. So Alfred sent a message 
to Guthrum requesting that more Danes should be 
sent as hostages to take the place of those who had 
died or had deserted. Guthrum replied that they 
would be sent in due time, but many months passed, 
and he still delayed to comply with the King's request. 
This roused Alfred's suspicions, and he afterwards 
heard that friendly messages had passed between 
Guthrum and the leader of the Danish army, who 
had besieged Rochester. 

It was not long before news reached Alfred that a 
number of the pirates who had fled from Rochester 
had landed at Benfleet, in Essex, where they 
had been joined by the Danes from East Anglia. 
The King was not greatly surprised to learn that 
Guthrum had broken faith with him. He knew 
well that the change from a wandering to a 
settled life, and, still more, the transformation of 
the old sea-robber's nature, could not be effected 
all at once. 

So the whole navy of Wessex was ordered to 
assemble off the coast of East Anglia, in order to 
punish the King's faithless godson. Alfred sent a 
message to the commanders, ordering them to show 
no mercy to the traitors. At the mouth of the 
Stour, between Suffolk and Essex, the English 
encountered a fleet of sixteen Danish ships. A 

97 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

desperate sea-fight ensued, in which the Northmen 
were severely beaten, and many slain or drowned. 
Their vessels, containing much treasure, fell into the 
hands of the English. 

The Wessex fleet, overjoyed by this great victory, 
were preparing to sail home with the booty 
when they were unexpectedly attacked by the 
treacherous Vikings of East Anglia, with a force much 
superior to their own. The Saxons fought long 
and desperately, but, being already exhausted by 
the former battle, they were defeated with great 
loss. The captured treasure was all retaken by 
the Danes. 

Before long, however, another treaty of peace 
was made between Alfred and Guthrum. By this 
second treaty the boundaries of Alfred's kingdom 
were enlarged. The King then laid siege to London, 
which was still in the hands of the Danes. During 
the siege Alfred vowed that if the city fell into his 
hands he would send alms to Rome, and to the 
Churches in India. Soon after he had made this vow, 
which, as we shall hear later, he did not fail to keep, 
the city surrendered to him. 

This was a very important gain, for it added much 
to the King's power, and made him more than ever 
the real head of the whole English nation. All the 
English, who were not in subjection to the Danes, 
now submitted to him. 

London had been an important trade centre even 

98 




'ALFRED RIDING THROUGH THE RUINS OE 



LONDON" 
— Page 98 



The Danes Again 

in Roman times. After the landing of the English 
tribes in Britain its importance declined, for, as 
we have seen, they had a distaste for living 
in walled towns. By the seventh century, how- 
ever, it had again become the chief port of the 
south-east, and in 604 Ethelbert, King of Kent, 
persuaded Augustine, the first Archbishop of 
Canterbury, to consecrate a bishop named 
Mellitus to the see of London. From that time 
Christianity and trade combined to make the city 
important. 

Ethelbert built the Church of St Paul, and though 
it has been rebuilt more than once, we know that 
from his time to the present, a period of 1300 
years, a great church, dedicated to the Apostle 
Paul, has looked down on London from Ludgate 
Hill. 

In 851 London was taken by the Danes, who 
made it a favourite landing and starting-place for 
their expeditions. From that time until it was 
retaken by Alfred its trade steadily declined. 
Foreign merchants ceased to visit the famous 
port, and the population dwindled away. The 
wealthier inhabitants fled to foreign lands, while 
the poorer departed to seek safety in the country. 

When King Alfred rode through the streets of the 
city soon after it had surrendered to him, he saw 
on every hand ruined churches, roofless hoases, 
narrow grass-grown streets, and lanes choked with 

99 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

heaps of rubbish. Many dead bodies had been left 
unburied in the houses or in the open streets, where 
they had fallen fighting. 

The scene of desolation was enough to strike dis- 
may into the stoutest heart. Yet Alfred determined 
that no time should be lost in setting to work to re- 
store the city. Large gangs of workmen were em- 
ployed to clear away the rubbish, and soon new 
towers and houses began to rise from the ruins. The 
walls and fortifications of London were also restored 
on a grander scale than before. The King placed 
in the city a garrison of soldiers, to whom he 
granted lands for their support. The new city, 
with its fortified walls and towers, thus became a 
barrier to the passage of pirate ships up the 
Thames. 

Before many years had passed, merchants of all 
nations flocked to the city. Two colonies of Danes 
were permitted to settle there — one south of the 
Thames in the district that is now South wark; the 
other on the north bank of the river, where they had 
a burial place, supposed to be near the site of the 
church still dedicated to St Clement Danes, the 
patron saint of seamen. 

In 886 Alfred appointed as governor of London, 
his son-in-law, Ethelred, Alderman of Mercia, the 
husband of his daughter, Ethelfleda. 

Thus King Alfred laid the foundations of the 
wealth and prosperity of that great city which 

ioo 



The Danes Again 

was destined to become in our days the com- 
mercial capital of the world. 

In 890 Guthrum, the old sea-robber, died, and was 
buried at Thetford, in Norfolk. But the Danes of 
East Anglia made no movement to break the peace 
which continued to reign in England. 



IOI 



CHAPTER XIV: King Alfred's 
Friends 

KING ALFRED had many friends among the 
poor as well as among the rich. Prince, 
noble and peasant, rough mariner, studious 
monk or cunning craftsman, all were the same to him 
so long as they showed themselves to be men of 
worth. Many poor but deserving men were enriched 
by him, and placed in positions of trust. He was also 
a generous friend to monks and priests, and to all 
his household servants, for whose welfare he cared 
as if they had been his own children. 

One of the King's chief friends was the Welsh 
monk, Asser, a man of great learning and earnest 
piety. His fame as a scholar having reached Wes- 
sex, Alfred sent messengers to Wales to invite him to 
the court. Asser hastened to obey the summons, 
and set out with an honourable escort provided by 
the King. He found Alfred at the royal castle of 
Dean, near Chichester, in Sussex, and there he re- 
ceived a kindly and honourable welcome. 

After talking with him for some time Alfred was so 
pleased with his learning that he begged him to re- 
main at the court for the rest of his life, offering, if he 
would do so, to promote him to great honour in the 
Church. Asser, however, loved his native country, 
Wales, and the friends he had left there, and was un- 
willing to agree to the King's proposal. 

"I cannot promise what you ask," he said, "for 

I02 



King Alfreds Friends 

it seems to me that it would be ungrateful for the sake 
of earthly honour to leave the place where I have 
lived and worked from my youth, and the friends 
from whom I have received so much kindness." 

"Will you, then, spend six months of the year 
in Wales, and the other six months at the West 
Saxon court?" asked the King. 

"I cannot make even this promise, O King," said 
Asser, "without first consulting my friends." 

After remaining for four days as the guest of the 
King, Asser set out on his homeward way. But he 
got no farther than Winchester, where he was 
attacked with fever, and lay for many weeks 
seriously ill. At first there seemed little hope that 
he could recover, but at length he began slowly to 
regain health. So weak did the fever leave him, that 
it was more than a year before he was able to con- 
tinue his journey. 

Meantime King Alfred, who had heard nothing of 
Asser's illness, wondered much why he did not return 
as he had promised. At last the King sent a mes- 
senger to Wales to make inquiries concerning the 
scholar. The messenger learned from Asser' s friends 
of his serious illness, and also found that they ap- 
proved of the King's proposal that Asser should spend 
six months of the year in Wessex. They knew that 
through his influence with the King he would be the 
better able to protect the churches and monasteries 
in Wales. 

103 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

As soon as Asser was able to travel, he joined the 
King in Wessex, at a royal castle called Leoneford. 
Before long he became the King's constant com- 
panion and trusted counsellor. So unwilling was 
Alfred to allow him to depart, and so much did he 
value his services, that on this first occasion Asser 
remained at the court for eight months. 

At length, when Christmas was near, he begged the 
King earnestly for leave to return to Wales. It was 
not, however, until Christmas Eve that the King sent 
for him, and gave him permission to depart. At 
the same time he handed him a paper, and ordered 
him to read the writing thereon. Asser did so, and 
learned that the King had granted him for life the 
monasteries of Amesbury, in Wiltshire, and Ban well, 
in Somerset. To these the King afterwards added 
a parish near Exeter. 

In the later years of the King's reign Asser became 
one of the most powerful churchmen in Wessex, and 
after Alfred's death was made Bishop of Selborne. 
He wrote a life of King Alfred, and it is from this 
famous work that we get most of our knowledge 
concerning the great King. 

Another eminent scholar, who became an intimate 
friend of King Alfred, was Plegmund, Archbishop of 
Canterbury. He was by birth a Mercian, and had be- 
come a monk at an early age. In 876 his monastery 
was sacked and plundered by the Danes. Plegmund 
narrowly escaped being assassinated, and took refuge 

104 



King Alfreds Friends 

in a part of Cheshire which was then an island, five 
miles north-east from Chester. This island, after- 
wards called from his name Plegmundham, now 
forms the parish of Plemonstall, and is said to have 
been given by King Ethelwulf to Christ Church, 
Canterbury. There Plegmund lived as a hermit for 
fourteen years. 

Alfred, hearing of Plegmund's piety, summoned 
him to the court, and a few months after his arrival 
made him Archbishop of Canterbury. In those days 
it was the custom for archbishops, after their election, 
to go to Rome to be consecrated by the Pope; so 
Plegmund set out on the long journey to the Eternal 
City. On his arrival he found that a new Pope 
named Formosus had just been elected. 

By Formosus, Plegmund was duly consecrated in 
the great Church of St Peter, and received from him 
the pall, a white woollen scarf embroidered with 
purple crosses, worn by archibshops. After his 
consecration Plegmund returned to England, and 
soon proved himself a good and worthy Archbishop. 
Much of his time was spent with the King, and he 
helped Alfred to translate from Latin into Anglo- 
Saxon The Shepherd's Book, a collection of rules 
for bishops written by Pope Gregory the Great. 

About six years after Plegmund's consecration as 
Archbishop, strange news reached England from 
Rome. Pope Formosus had died in the previous 
year. He was succeeded by Pope Stephen VI, who 

105 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

had been his mortal enemy, and who declared that 
Formosus had been no true Pope but a usurper. 
Stephen therefore ordered the dead body of Pope 
Formosus to be dug up, after it had lain in the grave 
for nine months, in order that it might be solemnly 
judged before a council of bishops. 

The corpse, dressed in pontifical robes, was placed 
on a throne, and a deacon was appointed to act as 
counsel for the defence. In the presence of the 
assembled bishops and nobles Stephen thus ad- 
dressed the dead Pope. 

" Why didst thou, tempted by ambition, dare to 
usurp the Apostolic See?" 

The deacon who was to have defended the dead 
Pope was too terrified to make any reply. Pope 
Stephen accordingly ordered the body to be stripped 
of its sacred vestments. The three fingers of the 
right hand, with which popes are wont to bestow 
the blessing, were cut off, and the body was thrown 
into the river Tiber. It was then decreed that all 
who had been consecrated by Formosus were no true 
bishops or archbishops, and must either be driven 
from their sees or seek reconsecration from Pope 
Stephen. 

The news of the passing of this decree caused much 
sorrow and consternation in England, not only to 
King Alfred, but to all the people of Wessex. For it 
meant that their faithful Plegmund might no longer 
remain Archbishop of Canterbury. King Alfred 

106 



King Alfreds Friends 

called a meeting of the Witan, at which Plegmund 
was present, and the matter was earnestly discussed. 
At length it was decided that Plegmund must again 
set out for Rome. But as Alfred could ill spare his 
friend, it was decided to postpone his departure for 
a time. 

It was not until after King Alfred's death that 
Plegmund again made the long journey to Rome, 
This time he went with a sorrowful heart, for he 
knew not how he might be received by the Pope, or 
if he would ever again return to his people as their 
Archbishop. 

A few days after his arrival in Rome, Plegmund 
was admitted to the presence of the new Pope. In 
trembling tones he told how he had made the long 
journey at the desire of the King and people of 
Wessex, hoping that the Pope might consent to 
reconsecrate him Archbishop of Canterbury. 

The Pope listened courteously to Plegmund's 
speech, and, struck by his noble and worthy bearing, 
readily consented to reconsecrate him Archbishop. 

On his return to England, Plegmund received a 
warm welcome from King Edward, the son of Alfred, 
and from the people of Wessex and Kent. A great 
procession met him on his arrival, and accompanied 
him to Canterbury. Plegmund brought with him 
the relics of the famous Saint Blaise, which he had 
bought in Italy for a large sum of money. The 
Archbishop lived to a good old age, much beloved by 

107 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

King and people. He died in 914 and was buried in 
Canterbury Cathedral. 

Werf erth, Bishop of Worcester, was another in the 
band of scholars whom the great King gathered 
around him. Soon after his consecration as bishop, 
Werf erth had been driven from his see by the Danes, 
and escaped to Gaul, where he lived for some years. 
When peace had been restored in England, King 
Alfred sent a message to Werferth inviting him to 
return. The Bishop gladly accepted the King's 
invitation, and soon after his arrival he was raised to 
a position of importance in the royal household. 
He laboured with the King to restore learning in 
Wessex, and to reform the monasteries. Among 
other works which Werferth translated at the King's 
command from Latin to Anglo-Saxon was the 
" Dialogues " of Pope Gregory the Great. Copies of 
Werferth's translation still exist at Oxford and at 
Cambridge. 

An old Saxon priest named John was also invited 
by Alfred to come from the Abbey of Corbey, in West- 
phalia, to settle in Wessex. He had been one of 
Alfred's teachers in boyhood, and the King knew him 
to be a strict disciplinarian, but very honest and 
trustworthy. John became the King's mass priest, 
and later was chosen Abbot of the great monastery 
built by Alfred at Athelney, of which we shall hear 
later. 

The fame of Grimbald, a priest of St. Omers, in 
108 



King Alfreds Friends 

France, having reached Alfred, he resolved to invite 
him to Wessex. Grimbald was skilled in music, very 
learned in the Holy Scriptures, and in all Church 
doctrine and discipline. The King believed that he 
would be specially fitted to help in restoring order 
in the monasteries and churches. As Grimbald was 
under the authority of the famous Fulk, Archbishop 
of Rheims, Alfred sent an embassy of clergy and lay- 
men with presents to Fulk, begging that the priest 
might be sent to England. 

The quaintly expressed letter sent by Fulk in reply 
to Alfred still exists. The Archbishop appears to 
have been much pleased by Alfred's request that a 
learned priest should be sent from Rheims, and 
declares that his see has always been famous for its 
scholars. He praises Alfred's zeal for the Church, 
and prays that God may multiply peace in the 
King's realm, and that religion and learning, 
which had fallen into decay during the Danish 
wars, may be speedily restored. Fulk then thanks 
Alfred for his gifts, which included a number of 
valuable hounds. 

"You have sent me," he writes, "some very 
noble and faithful hounds, asking me in return to 
send you spiritual hounds or priests, who, by their 
watchfulness will drive away evil spirits from the 
souls of men." 

He then declares his willingness to send Grim- 
bald, who will be to the King a spiritual watch-dog. 

109 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

On his arrival in England, Grimbald was kindly 
welcomed by King Alfred. After spending some 
months with the King, he was appointed professor in 
one of the new schools built by Alfred. Later, 
Grimbald was made abbot of the new monastery 
at Winchester, and his fame as a scholar spread 
throughout Europe. 



no 



CHAPTER XV: Travellers' 
Tales 

KING ALFRED delighted in listening to the 
tales of mariners who came from far coun- 
tries. At his court there lived for some 
time two famous explorers named Wulfstan and 
there. Both these men gave the King accounts 
of their travels, which he carefully wrote down and 
preserved. 

Wulfstan was a Jutlander who had made a voyage 
to the Baltic Sea, sailing from Schleswig, in Den- 
mark, to Truso, in Prussia. In the course of his 
expedition he became acquainted with Othere and 
afterwards went with him to England. Wulfstan 
told Alfred that he had gone from Schleswig to Truso 
in seven days, visiting on the way Gothland and 
many other wonderful islands. 

He afterwards explored the mouth of the river 
Vistula, near which lived a tribe of people called the 
Esthonians. In these regions each town had a king 
of its own. The kings and rich men drank mares' 
milk, and the poor people and slaves drank mead, 
which was made from wheat and honey. 

The Esthonians burned their dead instead of 
burying them. The bodies of very rich people often 
remained unburnt for many months, because the 
Esthonians knew how to preserve them from cor- 
ruption by means of ice. They could make ice 

in 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

even in summer, and all the wealthy people had ice 
houses for this purpose. 

During the time that a body lay unburnt, there 
was much drinking and feasting, the money of the 
dead man being used to pay for the festivities. At 
length, on the day fixed for the burning, all the 
money and treasure left in the house was divided 
into five or six portions. These were placed at 
different distances, the largest portion being about a 
mile distant from the house, and the others in order 
nearer, the smallest being nearest the house. Then 
all the men who lived within iive or six miles of the 
dwelling of the dead man assembled with their 
swiftest horses. Starting from an appointed place, 
they all rode as fast as they could toward the 
treasure. He who had the swiftest horse got the 
first and largest portion, and the rest in order, till 
it was all taken. Because of this strange custom 
swift horses were very dear among the Esthonians. 
After the race for the treasure, the body of the dead 
man was brought out and burnt with all his weapons 
and clothes. 

Othere, the other navigator, whose tales were also 
written down by King Alfred, was a wealthy Norse 
whale-fisher from Halgoland, in Norway. Of all 
Norsemen he dwelt farthest to the north. The only 
other inhabitants of the district surrounding his 
home were the Finns, who came thither for fishing in 
the summer and for hunting in the winter. Once he 

112 



Travellers'* Tales 

had explored the region farther north, but found that 
it was barren and uninhabited. 

To the north-east dwelt the Lapps, who often 
made war on the Norsemen. They had small light 
boats, which they carried overland into the meres 
and seas. Othere said that inland, his country was 
very mountainous, and all the land that could be 
ploughed or pastured lay near the sea-shore. He 
was the richest man in that part of Norway, for he 
had much land and many reindeer. These animals 
supplied all his wants, for they give milk like cows, 
and can be trained to draw sledges. Their flesh is 
used for food, and their skin for clothing. 

Othere had three kinds of reindeer, tame, wild, and 
decoy. The decoy reindeer, of which he had six, 
were used for catching others. He allowed them to 
roam freely in the forests. When they returned of 
their own accord to the stables for food, wild rein- 
deer often followed them, and were thus easily 
captured. 

Much of Othere's wealth consisted of tribute paid 
by the Finns in skins of animals, birds' feathers, 
whalebone, and ropes made of whales' hides and of 
seals'. The Finns paid according to their rank; 
the best born had to pay yearly fifteen martens' 
skins, live reindeers', one bear and one otter, and 
two ships' ropes each 120 feet long. 

From childhood Othere had been accustomed 
to brave the waves of the stormy North Sea and 

113 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

was fearless of its dangers. He related to King 
Alfred the story of a famous voyage he had made 
from Halgoland round the North Cape into the 
White Sea. On this voyage he was the first to 
discover the route to Russia by the North Cape 
of Norway. 

Othere's purpose in sailing northward was to hunt 
for walruses, which abound even to this day in the 
White Sea around Archangel, and on the shores of 
the country where dwelt a tribe called the Biarmians 
(now the Permians). These people told Othere 
many wonderful tales of their own and of neighbour- 
ing lands, but he thought the stories too strange to 
be true. 

He caught many walruses, some fourteen feet 
long, with huge ivory tusks. Othere had brought 
some walrus tusks as a gift to King Alfred. On that 
same voyage he caught many great whales, some 
of which were 160 feet long. Othere declared to 
King Alfred that he and the five men who were 
with him had killed sixty large whales in two 
days. 

After his return from this voyage, Othere made 
another exploring voyage to the Bay of Christiania, 
now known as the Skager Rack. Thence he sailed 
to Schleswig, visiting on the way many islands 
around Denmark. 

King Alfred listened to these tales with great 
interest and pleasure. He afterwards copied them 

114 




'IT WAS OTHERE THE ANCIENT MARINER'- Pane II] 



Travellers'* Tales 

into a book, in which he had written an Anglo-Saxon 
translation of a History of the World. This History 
had been written in Latin in the fifth century by a 
priest named Orosius. Copies of Alfred's book, 
containing the narratives of Othere and Wulfstan 
still exist (See Chapter XVI). 

The following poem by Longfellow tells in stirring 
verse the wonderful adventures of Othere: 



TEE DISCOVERER OF TEE NORTE CAPE 

(A leaf from King Alfred's "Orosius.") 

Othere the old sea captain, 

Who dwelt in Ealgoland, 

To King Alfred the Lover of Truth 

Brought a snow-white walrus tooth; 

Which he held in his brown right hand. 

Eis figure was tall and stately; 
Like a boy's his eye appeared; 
Eis hair was yellow as hay, 
But threads of a silver-grey 
Gleamed in his tawny beard. 

Eearty and hale was Othere; 
Eis cheek had the colour of oak; 
With a kind of laugh in his speech 
Like the sea-tide on a beach, 
As unto the King he spoke. 

"5 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

And Alfred, King of the Saxons, 
Had a booh upon his knees, 
And wrote down the wondrous tale 
Of him who was first to sail 
Into the Arctic Seas. 

"So far I live to the northward 
No man lives north of me. 
To the east are wild mountain chains, 
And beyond them meres and plains; 
To the westward all is sea. 

"So far I live to the northward 
From the harbour of Shiringes-hale, 
If you only sail by day, 
With a fair wind all the way, 
More than a month would you sail. 

"I own six hundred reindeer, 
With sheep and swine beside; 
I have tribute from the Finns — 
Whalebone and reindeer shins, 
And ropes of walrus-hide. 

"I ploughed the land with horses ', 
But my heart was ill at ease, 
For the old sea-faring men 
Came to me now and then 
With their sagas of the seas; — 
116 



Travellers* Tales 

"Of Iceland and of Greenland, 
And the stormy Hebrides, 
And the undiscovered deep; 
Oh I could not eat or sleep 
For thinking of these seas! 

"To the northward stretched the desert 
How far I fain would know; 
So at last I sallied forth, 
And three days sailed due north 
As far as the whale-ships go. 

"To the west of me was the ocean, 
To the east the desolate shore: 
But I did not slacken sail 
For the walrus or the whale 
Till after three days more. 

"The days grew longer and longer, 
Till they became as one; 
And northward through the haze 
I saw the sullen blaze 
Of the red midnight sun. 

"And then uprose before me 
Upon the waters 9 edge; 
The huge and haggard shape 
Of that unknown North Cape, 
Whose form is like a wedge. 
117 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

"The sea was rough and stormy, 
The tempest howled and wailed; 
And the sea-fog like a ghost, 
Haunted that dreary coast 
But onward still I sailed, 

"Four days I steered to eastward, 
Four days without a night; 
Round in a fiery ring 
Went the great sun, king, 
With red and lurid light." 

Here Alfred, King of the Saxons 
Ceased writing for a while, 
And raised his eyes from his book 
With a strange and puzzled look 
And an incredulous smile. 

But Othere the old sea-captain, 
He neither paused nor stirred, 
Till the king listened, and then 
Once more took up his pen, 
And wrote down every word. 

"And now the land," said Othere, 
"Bent southward suddenly; 

And I followed the southward shore, 

And ever southward bore 

Into a nameless sea. 

118 



Travellers* Tales 

"And there we hunted the walrus, 
The narwhale and the seal, 
Ha! 9 twas a noble game, 
And like the lightning's flame 
Flew our harpoons of steel. 

'There were six of us altogether. 
Norsemen of Halgoland; 
In two days and no more 
We killed of them threescore 
And dragged them to the strand J 9 

Here Alfred the Truth Teller 
Suddenly closed his book, 
And lifted his blue eyes 
With doubt and strange surmise 
Depicted in their look. 

And there the old sea-captain 
Stared at him wild and weird, 
Then smiled till his shining teeth 
Gleamed white from underneath 
His tawny, quivering beard. 

And to the King of the Saxons, 
In witness of the truth, 
Raising his noble head, 
He stretched his brown hand and said, 
"Behold this walrus tooth" 
119 



CHAPTER XVI: King Alfred's 
Monasteries 

THE destruction of the great English 
monasteries by the Danes was a serious 
loss to the whole country. At that time 
the monasteries were not only the true homes of art, 
science, and learning of all kinds, but were also places 
of shelter for the sick and needy. To every large 
monastery a school and hospital were attached, also 
farm-lands and orchards. There the good monks 
worked, leading prayerful and unselfish lives, 
devoted to learning, to the teaching of the young, 
and to the care of the sick. When the monks and 
nuns were slain by the cruel sea-robbers, or driven 
to seek refuge in other lands, learning declined 
throughout the whole of England. Even at the 
beginning of his reign King Alfred, whose great 
desire it was that the English should be better 
educated, was distressed to find so few scholars in 
the country who could read Latin, the language in 
which nearly all books were written at that time. 
Alfred had therefore no sooner got rid of the 
Danes, than he set himself to restore the old monas- 
teries and to build new ones. The first monastery 
which Alfred built was at Athelney in Somerset- 
shire; on the very spot where in the dark days be- 
fore Ethandune, he had sought refuge from the 
Danes. 

120 



King Alfred's Monasteries 

The story of St Cuthbert's appearing in a dream 
to the King at Athelney has already been told. It is 
said that after this dream, the King vowed that if 
his crown and kingdom were indeed restored to him 
he would build a monastery on the spot which had 
been endeared to him by so many wonderful 
experiences. 

Before the work could be begun, an army of work- 
men was sent by the King to build a great bridge 
across the marshes. At the end of the bridge was 
erected a strong tower of beautiful workmanship 
to guard the approach to the monastery. The 
monastery itself with the outbuildings, when com- 
pleted, covered the whole of the island, and was 
built entirely of wood. A small wooden church of 
curious form was attached to it. Four strong pillars 
of wood were sunk deeply into the swampy ground. 
Upon them were placed four arches of circular form, 
upon which rested the church. The church and 
monastery of Athelney were dedicated by King 
Alfred to our Blessed Saviour, and to St Peter and 
St Paul. 

The King had at first much difficulty in persuad- 
ing monks to live at Athelney, for the spot was damp, 
gloomy, and unhealthy. During the long wars, too, 
Englishmen had become so accustomed to the excite- 
ment of military life that they had now little desire 
to turn monks. So Alfred was obliged to send to 
foreign countries for monks and scholars to people 



121 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

his monastery. The greater number came from 
France and from Germany. Many English boys 
were also sent there by the King to be educated until 
they were old enough to become monks. Among 
them was a young Danish lad, the son of heathen 
parents, who was one of the most promising scholars 
in the school. 

Alfred chose as Abbot of Athelney the old Saxon 
priest John, of whom we have already heard. Poor 
John had a hard time trying to keep order among 
the unruly foreign monks, who were constantly 
quarrelling with each other. In that distant island, 
hemmed in by swamp and forest, there were no farm 
lands for the monks to till, and no playgrounds for 
the boys; so the Abbot was often puzzled to find 
employment for those under him, though he realized 
that plenty of work was the best remedy for their 
jealousies and disputes. 

John had lived for some years at the German 
abbey of Corbey in Westphalia, and was therefore 
inclined to favour the German monks. This roused 
bitter anger among the Frenchmen. At length two 
French monks, the one a priest and the other a 
deacon, being greatly incensed against the Abbot, 
plotted to bring about his death. They persuaded 
two French servants, by promise of great rewards, 
to carry out their wicked scheme. 

It was the custom of the good Abbot John to spend 
some hours each night at prayer alone in the church. 

122 



King Alfreds Monasteries 

The assassins therefore planned to conceal them- 
selves in the church by night to wait the coming of 
the Abbot, and to slay him as he knelt in prayer be- 
fore the altar. They were then to drag his body 
from the church, and throw it down before a house 
where lived some people of evil repute, so that the 
other monks might suppose their Abbot had been 
slain while on a visit to that house. 

On the night fixed for this dreadful deed the two 
armed ruffians concealed themselves in the dimly 
lit church. Soon after midnight the Abbot entered. 
Supposing the church to be empty, as was usual at 
that hour, he knelt reverently in prayer before the 
altar, near which burned a solitary lamp. 

Suddenly the silence was broken by a loud shout, 
and the two armed assassins rushed on the Abbot 
with drawn swords. Though John was taken com- 
pletely by surprise he was a brave man, and in his 
youth had been trained in the art of self-defence. 
He sprang to his feet and grappled with the French- 
men, shouting lustily. The monks, hearing his 
cries, rushed into the church, but John was severely 
wounded before they could come to his help, and the 
ruffians escaped, leaving him half-dead. 

The monks raised the old Abbot, and with many 
tears and lamentations conveyed him in a fainting 
condition to his cell. Meantime the two treacherous 
Frenchmen, who had hired the assassins, made 
more show of weeping than all the others. Abbot 

123 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

John did not die, however. For many weeks he was 
carefully tended by the monks who remained faithful 
to him, and, thanks to their care, slowly recovered 
strength. Some time afterwards the two French 
monks were discovered to have been at the bottom 
of the wicked design, and were thrown into prison. 
While there they confessed their guilt, and were 
both put to death. 

The monastery of Athelney continued to exist for 
four hundred years after the time of King Alfred, 
although owing to its unhealthy situation it was 
less successful than the other monasteries founded 
by him. In the thirteenth century it was abandoned 
by the monks, and gradually fell into ruins. No 
trace of the building now remains in Athelney. 

King Alfred also founded an abbey for nuns at 
Shaftesbury in Dorsetshire. Long before the Ro- 
mans came to our country there had been a Brit- 
ish settlement at Shaftesbury, but the place had 
gradually ceased to be inhabited. Alfred first built 
a town there on the top of a hill, overlooking the 
beautiful valley of Blackmore. In 888, the abbey 
for nuns was built near the east gate of the city, and 
so close to the southern edge of the cliff that after- 
wards it had to be walled up from below to prevent 
a landslip. 

King Alfred had no difficulty in finding nuns to 
fill the abbey, for many noble ladies soon expressed 
a desire to enter it. There they spent peaceful lives, 

124 



King Alfreds Monasteries 

busy on their beautiful needlework, or in tending the 
sick, and in prayer. 

The first Abbess of Shaftesbury was Ethelgeda, 
King Alfred's second daughter. She had become a 
nun when very young, and was probably not more 
than sixteen when she was chosen Abbess. The 
King granted many lands for the support of 
Shaftesbury Abbey and also one-eighth of the royal 
revenues. 

The famous abbey of New Minster at Winchester 
was also founded by Alfred, but was unfinished at 
the time of his death. It was built in the church- 
yard to the north side of Winchester Cathedral. 
The chapel of the abbey was so near the Cathedral 
Church .that the chanting of the one choir could be 
distinctly heard by the other. This led to a quarrel 
between the Bishop of Winchester and the Abbot of 
the monastery. After the death of Alfred, his son 
and successor, King Edward the Elder, wished to 
purchase more ground for the building of the abbey. 
The Bishop of Winchester, who was still provoked 
by his quarrel with the Abbot, insisted on the 
King's paying one gold mark for every foot of land 
which he required. 

King Alfred chose his friend Grimbald to be first 
Abbot of the New Minster, but Grimbald died in 
903, the year in which the abbey was completed. 
The abbey remained on its first site within the 
Cathedral churchyard for two hundred years. It 

125 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

was then removed to a place called Hyde outside the 
city walls, whence it obtained the name of Hyde 
Abbey, and was famous until the Reformation. 

King Alfred was a generous benefactor to the 
ancient abbeys of Glastonbury and Wilton, and to 
the Cathedrals of Durham and Sherborne. The 
history of the famous old abbey of Glastonbury in 
Somerset is full of romance. At Glastonbury was 
the first Christian church built in this country. 
According to an ancient legend, Joseph of Arimathea, 
with eleven companions, landed in Britain in the 
year a.d. 63. They were well received by a British 
king named Arviragus, and were allowed to settle 
in a small island in Somerset surrounded by marshes 
and known as Glassy Island, from the colour of the 
stream which surrounded it. The place was after- 
wards called Avalon probably from the Welsh word 
'aval' or apple, in which fruit it abounded. 

Here Joseph erected in honour of the Virgin Mary 
the first Christian church in England, made of 
wreathed twigs. A monastery was afterwards 
founded there by Irish scholars. 

Another old story tells how, about the year 542, 
the famous British king, Arthur, being mortally 
wounded in the battle of Camlam was carried to the 
monastery at Glastonbury and there breathed his 
last. He is said to have been buried in the monks' 
cemetery. Five hundred and forty years later, 
some monks while digging there found what they 

126 



King Alfred } s Monasteries 

believed to be his sepulchre. They conveyed his 
relics into the church and there buried them. The 
common tradition was that King Arthur had suffered 
only a temporary death, and would come again to 
resume his sceptre. 

Alfred's good Queen, Elswitha, also founded a 
house for nuns at Winchester, known as the Convent 
of St Mary. Before the end of Alfred's reign the 
English monasteries had again become famous as 
places of learning, and many scholars from distant 
lands came thither to seek instruction in the schools. 
King Alfred also established a school for the young 
nobles at his court, and frequently went there him- 
self to superintend the instruction given. His own 
children were educated there. It is probable that as 
the court moved from place to place this school 
moved with it. 

The King made it a custom to send friendly 
embassies every year to Rome bearing gifts to the 
Pope. With them he also sent the money promised 
by his father, Ethelwulf, for the Church of St Peter. 
In 882, Pope Marinus I sent in return a valuable gift 
to King Alfred. This was nothing less than a piece 
of what was believed to be the true cross on which 
Christ suffered. In the following year, Alfred sent 
two nobles named Sighelm and Athelstane to Rome 
to thank the Pope for this wonderful gift, and 
also to request that the Saxon school in Rome, 
which had been rebuilt by King Ethelwulf, should 

127 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

be freed from taxation. This request the Pope 
granted. 

According to a quaint old story, about the year 
891 three pilgrims set out in a boat, without any oars, 
from Ireland, 'whence they had stolen because they 
desired to be in a state of pilgrimage for the love of 
God.' The boat in which they sailed was made of 
two hides and a half, and they took with them food 
for seven days. Trusting themselves to God's 
guidance they let their boat drift westward, and on 
the seventh day came to land in Cornwall. Leaving 
their frail bark on the shore, they hastened to Alfred, 
King of the West Saxons, who received them with 
much kindness. When they had told him that they 
desired to continue their pilgrimage to Rome and 
Jerusalem he gave them letters to the rulers of the 
countries through which they were to pass, com- 
manding that none should harm or molest them on 
the way. Only one of them lived to return home. 
He is said to have brought a letter and present to 
King Alfred from Abel, the patriarch of Jerusalem. 

We have seen that during the siege of London 
Alfred made a vow to send alms to the Church in 
India if the city fell into his hands. There had 
been Christian churches in India from a very early 
date. According to an old legend, the apostle St 
Thomas journeyed as far as Mylapur, now a suburb 
of Madras, to preach the gospel, and there suffered 
martyrdom. His shrine, which was rebuilt by the 

123 



King Alfreds Monasteries 

Portuguese in the sixteenth century, is still to be 
seen there on the top of Mount St Thomas. 

Alfred's ambassadors reached the distant land, 
and were well received by the Christians of India. 
Of their long and wonderful journey we unfortunately 
know nothing, though this is the first record of 
communication between England and the great 
Indian Empire over which Britain now rules. The 
ambassadors came back to Alfred after a long 
absence, bringing with them precious stones and 
spices in return for his alms. These gifts Alfred 
distributed among his Cathedral churches, where 
they were preserved for many years. 



129 



CHAPTER XVII: King 
Alfreds Books 

ONE of King Alfred's greatest achievements 
was that he left to his people at the end 
of his reign, the precious legacy of the best 
books which then existed, translated for the first 
time into the English language. 

The King knew that if his country was to be truly 
great the people must make progress in knowledge 
as well as in the art of war. But as all the learned 
books of that time were written in Latin, he decided 
that part of his work of reform should be to trans- 
late some of the best and most useful into the 
English tongue. 

Asser tells how Alfred's first book came to be 
written. One day after the King and Asser had 
talked together for some time on various matters, 
Asser read aloud to the King a passage from a certain 
Latin book. The passage pleased Alfred so much 
that he took from his bosom a book which he always 
carried there, and asked Asser to copy the words 
therein. He could not, however, find a single blank 
page in the book, for it was already filled with the 
daily lessons, psalms, and prayers which the King 
had learned in his youth. Asser therefore proposed 
to begin a new book, and to this the King agreed. 
Very soon other quotations were added to the first, 
and the new book grew, till it was as large as a 



King AlfrecPs Books 

psalter. It was filled chiefly with passages from the 
Scriptures, and from the Latin writings of the 
Fathers of the Church. The King called it his 
Handbook. It was begun in November 887, and in 
the following year he translated it into English for 
the use of his people. To those who could not read 
Latin this was a great boon, and the King soon de- 
cided to translate other books into English. Unfor- 
tunately the Handbook was lost after Alfred's death, 
and nothing is now known of its fate. 

With the assistance of Plegmund, Archbishop of 
Canterbury, King Alfred next undertook the trans- 
lation of Pope Gregory's Shepherd's Book, or 
Pastoral Care, of which mention was made in a 
previous chapter. This book sets forth the duties 
of Christian bishops, the importance of their office, 
and the great danger of filling it unworthily. To 
the Shepherd's Book the King wrote an important 
preface addressed to his friend Bishop Werferth, 
in which he gives an account of the different causes 
of the falling away of learning in England at that 
time. Alfred ordered copies of his translation to 
be sent to all the bishops in his kingdom. The 
copies sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury and 
to the Bishops of Worcester and Sherborne are still 
in existence. 

The King desired that his people should have 
some knowledge of how Christianity was first intro- 
duced into England, and also of the history of their 

131 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

own and other countries. So the next book which 
he translated into English was Bede's Ecclesiastical 
History of the English People, The Venerable 
Bede, as he was called, who first wrote this book 
in Latin, was a monk of the monastery of Wear- 
mouth, near Jarrow, in Durham. Having been 
left an orphan when very young, Bede had been 
sent to the monastery at the age of seven. With 
the exception of a few visits to friends in the 
neighbourhood, he remained in the monastery all his 
life, and died there, at the age of sixty-three, in the 
year 735. 

His wonderful writings were the result of hard 
study. Bede loved to be always learning, teaching, 
or writing. He studied the Scriptures with all his 
might, and never failed to take part in the daily 
services of the church. Bede's Ecclesiastical His- 
tory begins with the landing of Julius Caesar in 
Britain, and continues to the year 731. It is a 
work of the greatest value, for from it we learn 
how England became a Christian country. There 
we read of the landing in England of the Roman 
monk Augustine, who afterwards became first Arch- 
bishop of Canterbury; of his favourable reception 
by King Ethelbert of Kent and Queen Bertha, 
who was a Christian princess from Gaul; and of 
the gradual spread of Christianity from Kent to 
other parts of England. There, too, we read many 
wonderful stories of the Early English saints, and of 

132 



King Alfreds Books 

how Csedmon, a poor cowherd at Whitby monastery, 
became the first Anglo-Saxon poet. 

Great must have been the delight of the English 
people when, through the labours of their King, they 
were first able to read these stories in their own 
tongue. 

King Alfred also caused all that was known of 
the history of England up to his own time to be 
copied from old records. It had been the custom 
in monasteries to keep a register of the events of 
each year, chiefly the deaths or dethronements of 
bishops and kings. For Wessex and Kent this 
was done at Winchester and Canterbury. The 
Winchester record was most carefully kept. In the 
reign of King Ethelwulf, a. cleric, who is supposed 
to have been Bishop Swithin of Winchester, filled 
in the Winchester annals with more details, inserting 
all that was known from tradition, from the time 
of the first landing of the English in Britain/ He 
also made a table showing the supposed descent 
of the West Saxon Kings from Adam and from the 
god Odin or Woden. This part of the record, con- 
tinued to the year 855, was found by Alfred when 
he became King, and remained as it was until the 
days of peace. About the year 891 Alfred deter- 
mined to continue it as a history of England. 

Thus the famous Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was 
begun, and was continued after Alfred's death by 
various writers for nearly three hundred years. 

i33 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

From it we get most of our knowledge of our coun- 
try's early history. Alfred caused the part from the 
ascension of his brother Ethelbald to be carefully 
filled in, and added a full account of the Danish 
wars. Many fresh entries were also made from 
different Latin writers, and the whole Chronicle was 
translated into English. Six ancient copies of the 
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle are still in existence. Four 
of these may be seen in the British Museum. 

The translation into English of the History of 
the World, by Orosius, was probably the most 
difficult of all Alfred's literary labours. This book 
had been written in Latin about the year 418 by 
Orosius, a young Spanish priest. Many heathen 
writers of that time had declared that the intro- 
duction of Christianity had harmed the Roman 
Empire more than it had benefited it. In reply to 
this statement, St Augustine, the African Bishop 
of Hippo, had written a book called The City of 
God, in which he defended the Christian faith. 
He then advised his friend Orosius to write a History 
of the World. The book was an attempt to prove, 
as Augustine himself had done, that the decay of the 
Roman Empire and the wars of the world were not 
due, as the heathen declared, to Christianity. 

This work of Orosius was the only History of the 
World existing in the Middle Ages, and though 
poorly written, contains much useful information. 
In translating the book, Alfred omitted much which 

134 



King Alfreds Books 

he thought would not be of interest to his readers. 
He also inserted many new facts, including the 
story of the voyages of Othere and Wulfstan, of 
which an account has already been given, and a 
description of the German countries from which the 
English races first came. 

Another very important book translated by King 
Alfred was the Consolations of Philosophy, by 
Bcethius. It was written about the year 523 by 
Bcethius, a learned Roman consul, who had enjoyed 
the favour of Theodoric, King of the Goths, then 
Master of Italy and Rome. In 522, Bcethius was 
accused of treason by Theodoric, and was thrown 
into prison at Pavia. After being kept in a dungeon 
for nearly a year, he was executed. 

Like Bunyan, he employed the months of his 
imprisonment in writing this book, in which he 
supposes that he is visited in prison by Wisdom 
or Philosophy, disguised as a woman. She consoles 
him for the evil changes of fortune, and shows that 
riches, power, pleasure, or glory do not bring their 
possessors real happiness, but that the only lasting 
happiness is in the soul. Virtue alone is of impor- 
tance, for the good man is master of himself and of 
his fate. 

None knew better than King Alfred how true this 
is, and the Consolations was one of his favourite 
books. In translating it for the use of his people 
he inserted many of his own thoughts, and this 

135 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

makes his English version of the greatest interest. 
From this work we learn something of the King's 
inner life, and of his noble thoughts. In the second 
part of the book Alfred explains at great length 
his own ideas about government, and shows how 
vain is power without wisdom. He ends this part 
with the memorable words: — "This I can truly 
say that as long as I have lived I have striven 
to live worthily, and after my death to leave 
to my descendants a memory of me in good 
works." 

The book contains many fine passages and several 
stories of great interest. Among them is the follow- 
ing old Greek legend: — 

"Once upon a time there lived in the country 
called Thracia, a harper named Orpheus. So skil- 
fully could he harp that the wild beasts of the forest 
were wont to come together at the sound of his music, 
and though men or hounds came against them they 
would not flee. And the woods swayed and the 
rocks stirred in time to his melodies. 

" The harper had a beautiful wife named Eurydice, 
whom he loved very dearly. But it came to pass 
that Eurydice died, and her soul was taken to the 
Spirit-Land. Then the harper became so sad that 
he could no longer live among other men. So he 
withdrew to the solitude of the hills and woods, 
where day and night he sat weeping and harping, 
while the woods trembled, and the waters stood still, 

136 



King Alfreds Books 

and no hart shunned lion or hound for the magic of 
his music, and for the sweetness of the sound. 

"But the harper knew that nothing would ever 
please him more in this world, and he resolved to 
seek the gods of the Spirit-Land, if so be that he 
might soothe them with his music, until they con- 
sented to give him back his wife. 

"He found the gate of the Spirit-Land guarded by 
a great dog named Cerberus, with three heads, very 
fierce and terrible. But when Orpheus played on 
his harp the monster leapt upon him fawning, and 
showed gladness with its tail. The warder of the 
gate was a dreadful looking man named Charon, 
who was exceedingly old. But when Charon heard 
the rare music, he longed so greatly after it that he 
promised to protect Orpheus in the Spirit-Land, and 
to bring him safely from thence on his return. 

"Then Orpheus went on farther, until he met 
three dread goddesses called the Fates, who have 
mercy on none, but visit all according to their works. 
To them he played and begged for their favour, until 
they wept with him. So he went farther, playing as 
he went, and there ran to meet him all the dwellers 
in the Spirit-Land. They ran to their King, and 
begged him to allow Eurydice to return to earth 
with her husband. And while Orpheus played, all 
the torments of those who were tormented for 
their sins in the abode of evil spirits ceased. Then 
all the spirits cried: 

i37 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

" 'Let us give this man his wife back, for he has 
earned her with his harping!' 

"So the King granted his request and gave back 
Eurydice, but warned him that he must not look 
back as he left the Spirit-Land, lest she should vanish 
again from his sight. 

"Then Orpheus and Eurydice went together 
through the Spirit-Land, until they came to the 
boundary of light and darkness. But as they reached 
the light Orpheus looked back for very gladness, and 
straightway the woman vanished out of his sight, 
and was lost to him." 

Other books exist besides those mentioned, which 
are said to have been translated by King Alfred, but 
it is doubtful if they were really his work. One 
of these is a collection of Saxon proverbs, which 
was most probably made about two hundred years 
after his time. The proverbs are arranged in thirty- 
one paragraphs or stanzas, each of which begins, 
"Thus saith Alfred, England's Comfort," or "Eng- 
land's Shepherd," or "England's Darling," etc. 

The collection has the following short preface in 
verse telling that the proverbs were spoken at a 
meeting, probably of the Witan, held at Sifford, or 
Seaford, in Oxfordshire: — 

"At Sifford there sate many thanes, 
Many bishops, many learned, 
With earls and awful knights, 

138 



King Alfreds Books 

There was Earl Alfrich, very learned in the law; 
There also was Alfred, England's herdsman, 

England's darling; 
He was King of England, he taught them, 

All who could hear him, 
How they should lead their lives. 

Alfred was a King of England that was very strong. 
He was both king and scholar, he loved well God's work; 
He was wise and advised in his talk; 
He was the wisest man that was in all England." 

The book ends with the following words of advice 
supposed to have been spoken by Alfred on his 
deathbed to his son: — 

"Thus quoth Alfred: 'My dear son sit thou now 
beside me and I will deliver thee true instruction. 
My son I feel that my hour is near, my face is pale, 
my days are nearly run. We must soon part. I 
shall to another world, and thou shalt be left alone 
with all my wealth. I pray thee, for thou art my 
dear child, strive to be a father and a lord to thy 
people; be thou the children's father and the widow's 
friend; comfort thou the poor and shelter the weak, 
and with all thy might right that which is wrong. 
And my son govern thyself by law; then shall the 
Lord love thee and God above all things shall be thy 
reward. Call thou upon Him to advise thee in all 
thy need, and so shall He help thee the better to 
compass that which thou wouldst.'" 

139 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

King Alfred is said to have also written a book 
on Hawking. The sport of catching wild birds by 
hawks trained for the purpose was very popular in 
those days, and was a favourite pastime of the King. 
Unfortunately this book has been lost. 

Many other Latin books were translated at the 
King's desire by the scholars who gathered at his 
court. 

The English into which all Alfred's books were 
translated differs very considerably from our lan- 
guage of the present day. To distinguish it from 
modern English, into which it changed very gradu- 
ally, the English of that day is usually known as 
Anglo-Saxon. At the time of his death King Alfred 
was engaged in translating the Psalms of David. 
To the end he studied hard. He belonged to that 
world where effort and progress have no end. 



140 



CHAPTERXVIII: How Alfred 

spent his Time & Money 

TO King Alfred, busy as he constantly was, 
time was very precious, and in order to 
get through his work he had to divide his 
day carefully. Had he not done so, the great work 
of his life during the years of peace would have been 
left but half done. 

The King made a vow that he would dedicate 
eight hours out of every twenty-four to the service 
of God. Another eight hours were devoted by him 
to public business, and the remaining eight to rest 
and recreation. In those days clocks and watches 
were unknown, and time could only be measured by 
the sun. Sundials were much used, but on cloudy 
days, and of course during the night, these were use- 
less. Often would the King fear lest while occupied 
with public affairs he should allow to pass the hours 
which he had promised to give to the service of God. 
He reflected much on this matter until at last a 
clever invention occurred to him. By means of re- 
peated experiments he found that a candle contain- 
ing twelve pennyweights of wax burned exactly four 
hours. So he ordered his chaplains Athelstan and 
Werewulf to procure enough wax to weigh seventy- 
two pennyweights. With this he ordered six candles 
to be made, all of equal size and weight, and divided 
by lines into inches. These were lighted in succes- 

141 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

sion, and burned for twenty-four hours. The King 
afterwards ordered similar candles to be burned 
constantly before the bones of the saints, which he 
always took with him on his journeys. These bones 
were believed to possess miraculous healing powers. 
He also commanded his clergy to keep time-measur- 
ing candles burning in the churches. By this means 
the passing of each hour was marked, and was noti- 
fied to the people by the ringing of bells. 

It was soon found, however, that six candles did 
not always last twenty-four hours. Alfred's clever 
invention was often rendered useless by the boister- 
ous winds which especially at certain seasons of the 
year sometimes blew continuously, day and night 
penetrating the open windows and doorways. 

At that time glass was almost unknown in Eng- 
land, though princes and wealthy aldermen some- 
times possessed glass drinking-vessels, brought from 
foreign countries, and considered very rare and valu- 
able. But to employ glass to exclude wind and rain, 
while admitting light into churches and houses had 
not then occurred to the people of England. The 
few windows made in buildings consisted of narrow 
oblong holes open to the air. Through these and 
through the badly fitting doors the wind easily 
entered, and seriously interfered with the burning of 
Alfred's candles. The lights were either blown out 
or they burned down quicker than usual, making 
the correct measurement of time impossible. 

142 




•ALFRED CAUSES CANDLES TO BE LIT IN CHURCHES" 

—Page m 



How Alfred spent his Timefe Money 

When Alfred heard that the candles thus burned 
out before the proper time, he tried to invent some 
means of getting over the difficulty. Soon he thought 
of an excellent plan. He caused beautiful lanterns 
to be constructed of wood, and plates of ox-horn, 
planed so thin that they were as transparent as glass. 
In these lanterns, which had small holes at the top 
and were closed by horn doors, the candles were 
placed, and were thus sheltered from the wind while 
they could be seen perfectly. By this contrivance 
the six candles lighted in succession burned twenty- 
four hours, and when these were finished others were 
immediately lighted. 

The eight hours consecrated by King Alfred to the 
service of God were spent partly in private prayer in 
the church, partly in attending the public services, 
and partly in performing works of charity and mercy. 
Every day he listened with reverence and attention 
to the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and afterwards 
discussed the meaning of difficult passages with the 
learned men whom he had gathered around him. 
He also took part with great delight in the singing 
of psalms and hymns. His works of charity were 
numerous, and he was ever ready to show sympathy 
with the poor and afflicted. He thought little of 
his own needs, but constantly of how he could serve 
others. If the eight hours set apart for public 
business proved too short for the work Alfred wished 
to accomplish, he continued to labour during the 

143 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

hours of rest, rather than take from those which he 
had consecrated to the service of God. There can 
be little doubt that the fatigue of his endless labour, 
acting on a frame weakened by disease, shortened 
his life. Yet these years of peace were happy for 
him, though they were all too brief. 

The King had a large revenue from his estates and 
other sources. This he spent with the greatest care, 
for he was a thorough man of business, careful in 
detail, industrious and methodical. He considered 
himself only a steward of great possessions, for which 
he must one day give an account. 

Much of the King's revenue was derived from 
the crown lands, and from his private estates. His 
royal castles at Dene and Leoneford have been 
already mentioned. He also owned a castle at 
Reading, and private estates in almost every shire 
in Wessex, as well as in Mercia and Kent. The 
royal properties were most numerous in Wilts, Hants, 
and Somerset, in which shires Alfred owned as many 
as twenty estates. Part of the produce of all these 
lands was sold, and the money paid to the King. 

Alfred's wise management of his estates brought 
about a great increase in the revenues during his 
reign, and considerably raised the value of the land. 
His encouragement of agriculture and of such handi- 
crafts as were then known brought new wealth to 
the realm. 

Other sources of royal income were the tolls, 
144 



HowA If red spent his Timefe Money 

customs and taxes paid to the King. Tolls were 
paid by all who traded in the King's markets, and 
the customs by foreign merchants who came to 
the different ports of the kingdom. As Alfred en- 
couraged trade with different lands the customs 
gradually increased. 

By the law of treasure-trove, anything of value 
found in the kingdom, such as gold, silver or precious 
stones, became the property of the King. He also 
inherited the lands and goods of those who died 
without heirs. 

Large sums derived from fines, especially from the 
weregeld, or fine for murder, were also paid to the 
King. In those days Englishmen were much given 
to brawling and fighting, and theft was very com- 
mon. The heavy fines often imposed for these 
offences brought in a considerable sum. 

King Alfred determined to spend his yearly in- 
come with the same conscientious care as he spent 
his time. He divided his revenues into two parts, of 
which one was devoted to the service of God, and the 
other to the needs of his kingdom and royal house- 
hold. The first portion was divided into four equal 
parts, of which the first was bestowed in alms on the 
poor, but with a degree of wisdom and discretion 
very uncommon at that time, Alfred commanded 
that in this matter the advice of Pope Gregory the 
Great should be followed : " Give not much to whom 
you should give little, nor little to whom much, nor 

M5 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

something to whom nothing, nor nothing to whom 
something." 

The second part of the consecrated money was 
given to the support of the abbeys built by Alfred 
at Shaftesbury and Athelney. The third part was 
spent by Alfred on the education of his people, in 
supplying the clergy and laity with English books, 
and in supporting the court schools for young nobles. 
With the fourth portion various churches and 
monasteries in Mercia and Wessex were assisted, 
according as they had need; alms were sent to 
churches in foreign lands, especially to Rome; and 
yearly embassies were sent with gifts to the Pope. 

The remaining half of Alfred's revenue was man- 
aged with equal care. It was divided into three 
parts, of which the first was spent for the mainte- 
nance of the court and royal household. To the 
arrangements of his court Alfred gave the most care- 
ful attention. His personal followers were all spe- 
cially appointed, and their duties assigned them by 
himself. The great officers of the King's household, 
who were later to play such an important part in 
English politics, first appear during Alfred's reign. 
The Horse-thane or Constable, the Cup-Thane or 
Butler, and the Hoarder or Treasurer were nobles of 
the highest rank. Records of the King's household 
expenditure were carefully kept, and there is no 
evidence that he ever spent money in useless luxury 
either for himself or his family. 

146 



How A If red spent his Timefe Money 

With the second portion of the unconsecrated half 
of Alfred's revenue the workmen, artisans and 
designers whom he had invited to England were 
liberally supported; part was also bestowed on the 
learned foreigners who frequented the court, and 
to whom Alfred always gave with the greatest 
generosity, not waiting until their necessities forced 
them to ask aid. 

The expenses of the army and navy did not fall 
heavily on the King, because in those days soldiers 
and sailors were expected to serve without pay. 
The King, however, was expected to find bread, meat 
and beer for his troops, and part of the produce 
of the cultivated land had to be devoted to this 
purpose. 

The remaining part of the King's revenue was 
spent on his buildings, on the ships which he built at 
his own expense, and on the beautiful illumination of 
his beloved books. He also caused to be made all 
kinds of beautiful ornaments, and employed many 
goldsmiths at the court. 

By his intense love for music, literature, and works 
of art, the King influenced his people to care likewise 
for these things, thus softening and refining their 
manners by elevating and ennobling their thoughts. 



147 



GHAPTERXIX: King Alfred's 
Children 

KING ALFRED had no settled home, for 
even in time of peace he was constantly 
moving from place to place attending to 
the affairs of his kingdom. Whenever possible, his 
wife Elswitha and her children accompanied him, 
the court school moving with them. 

The King had a large family of children, some of 
whom died in early youth. His faithful wife, who 
took no share in public affairs, devoted herself to 
the careful training of her boys and girls. Thanks 
to their parents' love and care for them, Alfred's 
children all turned out well. Two boys and three 
girls lived to grow up. The boys were Edward and 
Ethelward, the girls Ethelfleda, Ethelgeda and 
Elfrida. 

It was during the first year of Alfred's reign, in 
the midst of the Danish wars, that his eldest child, 
Ethelfleda, was born. The little princess shared her 
parents' wandering life, and was probably taken 
with them into hiding at Athelney. Soon after the 
Peace of Wedmore, Ethelfleda, although then 
scarcely eight years old, was married to Ethelred, 
the brave and powerful alderman of Mercia. In 
later years this marriage proved to have been a wise 
step on Alfred's part, for it united Mercia to him by 
the closest of ties, although he never ruled there as 

148 



King A If reefs Children 

king. Ethelred remained a loyal ally of the crown 
until the end of his life. As leader of the Mercian 
troops he fought many battles against the Danes, 
and won great glory for his brilliant victory over the 
enemy during the last Danish war of Alfred's reign. 
His wise rule greatly strengthened the Mercian 
kingdom. He taught his people to hold their own 
against the Welsh on the one side, and the East 
Anglian Danes on the other. 

The princess Ethelfleda was a great favourite 
with the people of Mercia. When she grew to 
womanhood she was allowed to enjoy equal power 
with her husband. They had one little daughter, 
Elfwyn, who was their great joy, and who was 
brought up with her cousin, Athelstan and his sis- 
ters, of whom we shall hear later. 

Sad to relate, the brave Ethelred's health gradu- 
ally failed when he was yet in the prime of life. Dur- 
ing his long illness Ethelfleda took the lead in de- 
fending Mercia against the Danes. She ordered 
several new fortresses to be built in Mercia. Two of 
these were on the old Roman road called Watling 
Street, which led from London to Wroxeter, near 
Shrewsbury; one was at Bridgenorth, in Shropshire, 
and one near the middle course of the Severn. Gar- 
risons of Mercian soldiers were sent to defend these 
fortresses against the enemy. 

To the great grief of his wife and little daughter, 
the illness of Ethelred ended in his death in 912. 

149 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

Ethelfleda continued to rule, and was given the title 
of "Lady of the Mercians." For many years she 
governed Mercia wisely and justly, following in the 
footsteps of her great father. She made alliances 
with the Irish and Welsh against the Danes, and 
her armies defeated the Northmen in several battles. 
More than once she led her own troops to victory. 
Her brother Edward, who succeeded Alfred on the 
throne of Wessex, owed much to her loyal help 
against the Danes. Mercian troops were ever 
ready to join the Wessex army in defending the 
kingdom. 

Ethelfleda died at her palace at Tamworth, in 
Staffordshire, on June 12, 918, and was buried in the 
Church of St Peter at Gloucester. Her daughter 
Elfwyn had been sought in marriage by a Danish 
chief, but her uncle, Edward, refused to consent to 
such an alliance, fearing that all Mercia would thus 
fall into the power of the Danes. So he carried her 
off to the Wessex court. 

King Alfred's eldest son, Edmund died in boy- 
hood. Little is known of him except that he was a 
gentle and amiable youth, too fragile and delicate to 
survive the hardships of those rude times. 

Alfred's second son, afterwards known as Edward 
the Elder, was a tall, handsome youth, who delighted 
in the chase and in all manly sports. By the time 
he reached manhood he is said to have been a better 
soldier than his father, though not so good a scholar. 

150 




'THE KINGS SUN AT HIS OLD NURSE'S HUT"— Paye 153 



King A If reefs Children 

At the age of twenty he distinguished himself by 
his bravery in the Danish wars, as related in another 
chapter. 

The following story is told of Edward's marriage. 
"One day the prince, while hunting in the forest, 
found himself near a hut in which lived an old 
woman who had been his nurse. On entering the 
hut to visit his old friend, the prince was surprised 
and delighted to find there a beautiful maiden whom 
his nurse had adopted as her daughter. The maid- 
en's name was Edgina, and she is said to have been 
the orphan daughter of a woodcutter, who had met 
his death in the forest. 

" The prince had no sooner seen her, than, charmed 
by her beauty, he fell deeply in love with her. 
Strange to say, on the night before Edward's visit, 
Edgina had had a dream, in which she saw the moon 
shine from her body so brightly that it illumined 
the whole land. 

"Now the old nurse was somewhat of a witch, so, 
when Edgina related this dream to her, she declared 
it meant that a great future was in store for the girl. 
Though the nurse knew that King Alfred would be 
much displeased if his son wedded a maiden of 
such humble birth, she did all she could to bring 
about their marriage. After the day of Prince 
Edward's first visit, the lovers met frequently in 
the forest. 

"At last the nurse arranged for a secret marriage 

151 



"The Story of Alfred the Great 

to take place between them. Edward's parents 
were deeply grieved when they heard that their son 
had married without their consent. For a long time 
they refused to recognize Edgina as Prince Edward's 
wife, or to receive her at the court. 

"After giving birth to a son and daughter poor 
Edgina died. Her son, who was named Athelstan, 
was then taken to his grandfather's court. He 
was a child of singular beauty and charm, and he 
soon completely won the heart of King Alfred. The 
King was so much pleased by the boy's early promise 
that he recognized him as his heir after Edward. 
He caused him to be dressed in a scarlet cloak, 
with jewelled belt, and a Saxon sword with gold 
scabbard. 

" The motherless boy was brought up by his aunt 
Ethelfleda, with his cousin Elf wyn. He grew up a 
wise and noble man, and lived to rule Wessex as one 
of its best and greatest kings." 

Edward was twice married after the death of 
Edgina, and had twelve children, some of whom 
became very famous. Four of his daughters mar- 
ried powerful European princes, and his second and 
third sons, Edmund and Eadred, succeeded Athel- 
stan as kings of Wessex. Edward reigned as king 
for twenty-three years, having inherited all the 
power of his great father. He defended his kingdom 
successfully against the Danes, and increased its 
prosperity by his wise government. 

152 



King Alfreds Children 

King Alfred's fourth child was Ethelgeda, who 
became noted for her learning and piety. She was 
delicate from birth, and decided, when very young, 
to enter a convent. As already related, she was 
chosen Abbess of Shaftesbury when about sixteen 
years of age, and held that position until her death, 
the date of which is uncertain. The position held 
by Ethelgeda at Shaftesbury induced King Alfred 
to bestow many estates and much wealth on the 
Abbey. 

Alfred's youngest daughter Elfrida, or Elfthryth, 
was brought up at the court with her brother 
Edward. The children studied some of the English 
books which their father had translated, and learned 
many Psalms and English poems by heart. Old 
records state that Elfrida was specially beloved by 
the Wessex people, but she was not destined to 
remain long among them. The date of her marriage 
is uncertain; probably she was only about twelve 
when she was married to Baldwin II of Flanders, 
a violent and greedy man, the son of Alfred's 
step-mother Judith. 

After the death of King Ethelbald, Judith had 
returned to France, and became by a third marriage 
the wife of Baldwin Iron-Arm, the first Count of 
Flanders. Though the people of Wessex had no 
love for her, a reconciliation took place between 
Judith and Alfred after he became king. Alfred 
knew the importance of uniting powerful foreign 

153 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

princes to him by marriage, so he consented to give 
his little daughter to Judith's son. Elfrida was 
taken by her husband overseas to Flanders, and it 
is uncertain if she ever saw her native country again. 
Though little is known of her married life, we may 
hope that she lived happily in her new home. 
She had two sons and two daughters. From her 
eldest son, Armulf, was descended Matilda, wife of 
William the Conqueror, and first Norman Queen of 
England. Through her our present sovereign, King 
George V, can trace his descent from Alfred the 
Great. 

Elfrida survived her husband for fourteen years, 
and died in 929. She was buried in the Church of 
St Peter at Ghent, in Flanders. The English 
estates which had been left to her by her father 
King Alfred, she bestowed on the Abbey of St Peter 
at Ghent. 

Ethelward, the youngest son of Alfred, greatly 
delighted his father by becoming a famous scholar. 
He inherited all the King's great love of learning, 
and devoted most of his time to study. The prince 
was educated first at the court school, and after- 
wards he studied at some of the great monastic 
schools of Wessex. Ethelward's character was en- 
tirely different from that of his brother Edward, 
for he was ever gentle and submissive toward his 
parents. His frank and generous nature caused 
him to be beloved by all. To this favourite son 

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King Alfreds Children 

King Alfred left great estates in different parts of 
Wessex. 

Ethelward married and had three children, but 
nothing is known of their descendants. He died on 
October 16, 922, and was buried in the royal vault 
at Winchester. 



155 



CHAPTER XX: Alfred's 
Last JV^ar 

ALFRED'S troubles with the Danes were not 
yet over. One more campaign had to be 
fought ere he laid down his sword for ever. 
Thanks to his wise foresight, however, the people 
of Wessex were now better able to resist the invaders 
than they had ever been before. 

During the years of peace in England the Vikings 
had been occupied in plundering and destroying 
other countries. After the death of Charles the 
Eat, a descendant of the mighty emperor Charle- 
magne, his vast empire had been broken up into 
portions — Germany being ruled by his nephew 
Armulf, to whom was given the title of Emperor; 
France by Odo, Count of Paris; and the smaller 
divisions by petty sovereigns. The different rulers 
soon quarrelled with each other, which gave the 
Danes an opportunity for plundering them all in 
turn. At last the Emperor Armulf re-established 
his authority over the western portion of the empire, 
and having mustered a huge army of Bavarians, 
Franks and Saxons, he defeated the Danes in a great 
battle fought near Louvaine, in Belgium. This 
drove the Northmen from Germany. 

Meantime, however, another great Danish army, 
led by the sea-king Hastings, had for some time been 
engaged in plundering that part of northern 

156 



Alfred's Last War 

France which lies around the town of Amiens. 
They at length defeated Odo in several battles, and 
took possession of the whole northern portion of his 
kingdom. It was not long, however, before their 
ravages brought a terrible famine on the ruined 
land, from which they were forced to flee. Hastings 
fled to Boulogne with his followers, and was there 
joined by the Danes who had been driven from 
Germany. Swarms of reckless freebooters and 
robbers from all parts of Europe also hastened to 
join him, and he was soon in command of a vast 
army. 

By means of small pirate boats Hastings managed 
to communicate with the Danes who lived in East 
Anglia, and from them learned how rich and pros- 
perous Wessex had become during the years of his 
absence. He soon set about building a fleet of 
new ships at Boulogne, with which to sail with his 
followers for England. The robbers determined to 
take with them their wives and children, for this 
was to be no mere plundering raid, but a complete 
conquest of England. 

On a beautiful autumn day of the year 893, two 
hundred and fifty pirate ships, with many men and 
horses on board, sailed from Boulogne. Steering 
straight across the Channel they landed without 
opposition in East Kent, near the mouth of the 
river Rother, about seven miles west of Dungeness. 
Up that river they towed their ships for four miles, 

157 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

until they reached a half-built fortress, erected by 
some Kentish peasants. This they captured with 
little difficulty, but found it in such an unfinished 

condition that it was of little use for defence. 
Therefore they advanced a few miles farther until 
they came to Appledore, in Kent, where they 
encamped on the borders of a great wood known as 
Andred's Weald. This wood stretched westward 
for TOO miles, from Romney Marsh to Hampshire, 
and for 30 miles from north to south. 

Meanwhile another fleet of eighty Danish ships, 
commanded by Hastings himself, had crossed the 
Channel from Boulogne. Sailing round the North 
Foreland they entered the river Swale, a tributary 
of the Medway which separates the Isle of Sheppey 
from Kent. The Northmen landed near the spot 
where the town of Milton now stands, and there 
built a fortified camp. 

The two Danish camps were thus only about 
twenty-six miles apart. The invaders had chosen 
their position well. Both camps were close to 
navigable rivers, up which the Danes might escape 
in their ships if need arose. Through the hidden 
paths of the forest which stretched between them 
they could hold communication with each other, or 
retire unseen into the heart of Wessex. 

As soon as King Alfred heard of the arrival of the 
invaders he sent a small force under his son Edward, 
now a youth of twenty, to watch both camps and 

158 



Alfreds Last JVar 

report on their movements. The King was too wise 

to attempt an immediate attaek on the Danish 
camps, for he knew that their position was very 
strong, iris next step was to cause all the Danes 
who had settled in East Anglia to renew their oaths, 
and give hostages as pledges that they would take no 
part with the invaders. This they did readily, 
although they only waited their opportunity to join 
the enemy. 

The King then mustered the division of his troops 
whose turn it was for active service, and marched 
to join his son Edward. He encamped at a place 
from which he hoped to be able to prevent the two 
Danish armies from joining each other, and prepared 
to attack either of them should they attempt to 
advance into the open country. During the winter, 
however, the Danes made no effort to leave their 
camps, though small parties of them made plunder- 
ing raids on the surrounding districts, and usually 
managed to escape capture by the English. 

At last Hastings sent messengers to Alfred offering 
to enter into an agreement which he had secretly 
no intention of keeping. To deceive the King he 
even sent to the English camp his two sons, and 
declared that he desired them to receive Christian 
baptism. King Alfred received the boys with much 
kindness, and they w^ere solemnly baptized as 
Christians. It is believed that Alfred's friend, 
Bishop YVerferth, performed the ceremony. The 

159 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

King himself and his son-in-law, Alderman Ethelred 
of Mercia, stood godfathers for the boys. After the 
ceremony the kind-hearted King entertained them 
at a sumptuous feast, and afterwards sent them back 
to their father loaded with gifts. 

Alfred's generosity failed to touch the treacherous 
old sea-king. The English, trusting to the treaty 
made, had relaxed their watchfulness, when, soon 
after Easter 894, the Danes at Appledore suddenly 
broke up their camp and sent their ships round to 
Benfleet, in Essex. They then made their way 
through the woods to Berkshire and Hampshire, 
which they plundered. Hastings, with his followers, 
also took their ships, with their women and children 
on board, to Benfleet, and began to harry and 
plunder the districts that had been made over to 
Alfred by the treaty of 884. After working much 
havoc in these regions, Hastings led his robbers 
into Hampshire, where he met some of his own 
marauding troops laden with spoil. With this 
booty and the plunder which he had taken himself 
he turned northward. 

Meantime King Alfred had received a message 
from his son Edward, stating that the Danes had 
passed near him on the march, but that he had been 
unable to stop them. Hastings had purposed to 
cross the Thames with his army, and march through 
Essex to Benfleet, where his whole fleet had now 
assembled. The King had no sooner received the 

160 





•PRINCE EDWARD FOUGHT WITH LION-LIKE COURAGE" 

— Page 160 



Alfreds Last W^ar 

prince's message than he hastily mustered his army, 
and pursued the Danes. He was soon joined by 
Prince Edward with his troops, and, marching as 
rapidly as possible, he succeeded in overtaking the 
Danes at Farnham, in Surrey. For the first time 
since their landing the robbers were forced to 
fight. 

There followed a long and fierce battle, in which 
Prince Edward fought with lion-like courage, winning 
great glory for his valour. At length one of the 
pagan leaders fled wounded from the field, and his 
departure caused a panic among his followers. 
They suddenly turned and rushed northward, in the 
wildest confusion and terror. On reaching the 
Thames they could find only one ford. By this 
they all attempted to cross at once, but in their 
headlong rush many of them were swept away and 
drowned. A large number of horses and much spoil 
fell into the hands of the English. 

The survivors of the Danish army reached a place 
called Thorney Island, at the junction of the Thames 
and Colne, where they were soon joined by Hastings 
with those of his followers who had escaped from the 
battle-field. King Alfred lost no time in dispatch- 
ing a body of troops under the gallant Prince Edward 
to blockade the Northmen in Thorney Island. This 
time, however, they were well supplied with provi- 
sions from their ships, with which they managed to 
keep in touch throughout the siege. 

161 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

At length the period of service of Prince Edward's 
division of the army expired, and his men returned 
home. King Alfred was on his way to replace them 
with another division when startling news reached 
him. In spite of their solemn oaths the Danes of 
Northumbria and East Anglia had risen in revolt 
and joined the invaders. Two of their fleets had 
already landed in Devon; the larger one, of a hundred 
ships, had sailed up the Exe and besieged Exeter, 
while the smaller one, of forty ships, had made its way 
up the Bristol Channel, and landed on the shores of 
North Devon. 

King Alfred was not greatly surprised to receive 
this news, as he had for some time suspected the 
East Anglian Danes of treachery. With the divi- 
sion of his troops which had been already mustered, 
he immediately hurried westward, leaving Prince 
Edward with a small force to continue the siege of 
Thorney Island. The Prince marched through 
Essex with his troops, but arrived only to find that 
the Danes had taken advantage of his absence to 
escape to Benfleet. 

As Prince Edward's force was too small to enable 
him to attack the Danes at Benfleet with any hope 
of success, he advanced to join his brother-in-law, 
Alderman Ethelred, who was holding London with 
a large body of Mercian troops. 

The citizens of London were greatly alarmed on 
hearing that the great Danish army was encamped 

162 



Alfreds Last W^ar 

within thirty miles of them. They implored Ethel- 
red to protect them, for it was expected that the 
invaders would immediately march on the city. 

Day after day passed, however, without the Danes 
making any attempt to attack London. At length 
Ethelred determined to storm their camp at Benfleet. 
Marching suddenly against them with a large force 
he arrived at what was for him a fortunate time, 
Hastings being absent with the greater part of his 
troops on a plundering expedition through Mercia. 
The Danes, who had not expected an attack, were 
taken completely by surprise. Not only was their 
camp stormed and all their plunder captured, but 
most of their vessels, with the women and children on 
board, fell into the hands of the English. Much booty, 
of gold, silver, horses, and garments, was also taken. 

Among the prisoners were the wife and two sons 
of Hastings, who were sent to King Alfred, but the 
generous King refused to revenge himself on them 
by keeping them captive. He ordered his godsons 
and their mother to be sent back to the faithless 
Hastings, and before their departure gave them 
many costly presents. All the serviceable Danish 
vessels which had fallen into the hands of the English 
were sent to London or Rochester, while the others 
were broken Up or burnt. This was one of the most 
complete victories in the annals of Wessex. 

The surviving Danes, who had fled from Benfleet, 
made their way eastward to Shoebury, where they 

163 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

were soon joined by Hastings with his troops. Soon 
after his arrival they all set out along the northern 
bank of the Thames, and continued their march 
westward until they reached the Severn, intending 
to follow the course of that river toward the south. 
They thus hoped to join their East Anglian allies 
who had landed in Devonshire, and who still pos- 
sessed a fleet. 

Alderman Ethelred had, however, kept a careful 
watch on their movements, and was too good a 
general to permit them thus to join their allies with- 
out opposition. He quickly ordered a muster of 
every available troop, and the men of Wessex has- 
tened from all parts to obey his summons. Alder- 
men Ethelhelm of Wiltshire, Ethelnoth of Somerset, 
and many noble thanes joined him with their forces. 
A powerful body of soldiers from North Wales also 
hastened to obey his call. 

These forces represented nothing less than a rising 
of the whole English people against the enemy. 
Their readiness to volunteer, their rapid muster, 
and excellent organization marked the progress 
which their country had made under King Alfred 
since the last invasion. 

At the head of a magnificent force, Alderman 
Ethelred marched to Buttington, on the Severn, 
and there laid siege to a fortress held by the enemy. 
Buttington is an ancient border parish between 
Shropshire and Montgomeryshire. Through it ran 

164 



Alfreds Last TVar 

a great earthwork known as Offa's Dyke, built 
about the year 795 by Offa, King of Mercia, for the 
purpose of forming a boundary between England 
and Wales. 

For several weeks the Danes were so closely be- 
sieged in Buttington that they could neither escape 
to seek food nor hold communication with their 
allies in Devon. Their provisions were soon ex- 
hausted. Many of their horses died of starvation, 
and they were forced to eat the rest. At length, 
Hastings, driven to desperation, was compelled to 
make a sudden sally with his men toward the east, 
and attempted to fight his way through the besieging 
army. The English met them outside the fortifica- 
tions and a furious battle raged. Both sides fought 
desperately and many noble English thanes were 
slain. Among them was a gallant noble named 
Ordheh, who had been much honoured and beloved. 
By degrees, however, the English forced the North- 
men before them, until they scattered in wild flight. 
Evening found Ethelred and his troops masters of 
the field. 

About seventy years ago, some workmen, digging 
the foundations for a new school near Offa's Dyke, 
found a great quantity of bones just below the 
surface. There can be little doubt that these were 
the bones of many great warriors slain in the battle 
of Buttington. 

After this defeat Hastings was forced to make 

165 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

a treaty with Ethelred, and the Danish army was 
permitted to leave Mercia unmolested. In the late 
summer they set out on the march westward by 
the old Roman road called Watling Street. They 
succeeded in reaching Danish East Anglia, where 
they once more established themselves. But they 
had not yet ceased to trouble Wessex. 



166 



CHAPTER XXI: The Defeat 
of the Danes 

IN spite of the crushing defeat inflicted on Hast- 
ings and his Danes at Buttington, the sea-rob- 
bers were again to prove their marvellous power 
of rallying. In Danish East Anglia, where they 
were once more surrounded by their friends and 
allies, they were soon joined by fresh reinforcements 
from Northumbria. This encouraged Hastings to 
renew the struggle, and he determined to make 
another expedition to the west. 

His first step was to order all the Danish women 
and children who had accompanied him from 
France to be placed on board the few ships left to 
them, and conveyed from Shoebury to the island of 
Mersey, in the estuary of the Blackwater, a few 
miles south of Colchester. This was a safer place 
than Shoebury, and farther from London. 

In the autumn of 894, Hastings and his followers 
left their ships to the care of their East Anglian allies, 
and made a sudden dash across country toward 
the north-west. Unfortunately, the English were 
unable to oppose their advance, for Alderman 
Ethelred had disbanded his army soon after the 
battle of Buttington, believing that the enemy would 
not attempt another attack before the winter. 

Marching day and night without stopping, Hast- 
ings and his followers reached the ruined walls of the 

167 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

old Roman city of Chester. To this they laid siege, 
but the English garrison held out bravely for two 
days, and showed signs of being prepared to resist 
the besiegers for a considerable time. Hastings 
then decided that he would give up the attempt to 
take the fortress, and contented himself with slaying 
all the men whom he and his followers were able 
to capture outside the city. The Danes also seized 
all the cattle and corn in the neighbourhood. They 
were unable to use the whole of the corn for them- 
selves or their horses, so they burned the remainder. 
After causing as much havoc as they were able, 
they withdrew to the peninsula of Wirral, the long 
stretch of land, protected by an embankment, lying 
between the rivers Mersey and Dee, in Cheshire. 
There they took up their position for the winter. 

During all this time King Alfred had remained 
in Devon with his forces, engaged in the attempt 
to raise the siege of Exeter. Many months passed 
before he succeeded in driving the Danes from 
Exeter, as well as from North Devon. Even then 
the pirates fled to their ships, and in these continued 
for some time to hover round the coasts of Devon 
and Cornwall, waiting for an opportunity to land. 
So Alfred wisely decided to remain in Devon with his 
army during the winter, in order to guard the coasts. 

Though nearly two years had now elapsed since 
the Danes returned to England, they had failed 
to take any strongholds of importance, and, thanks 

168 




'ALFRED WITH HIS SHIPS WATCHING FC.r\ THE DANES 
NEAR THE DEVON COAST"— Paye 163 



The D ^:at of the Danes 

to the splendid organization of the Wessex troops, 
had been defeated again and again. They were not 
yet crushed, however, for the old sea-king Hastings 
was still at the head of a powerful army whose 
plundering raids wasted and destroyed the country. 

In the spring of 895, Hastings found himself in 
difficulty on account of a lack of provisions for his 
army. By that time most of his cattle had been 
killed for food, and the rest, together with his sup- 
plies, had been unexpectedly seized by some English 
troops. This forced him to leave the peninsula of 
Wirral, and he decided to make for Wales. 

Marching southward through the Welsh terri- 
tories, the Danes ravaged the country as far as 
Brecknock and the surrounding districts. They 
then returned north with their plunder. Fearing to 
pass through Mercia lest they should meet with 
Ethelred and his army, they went by Northumbria 
and the Danelagh to their old quarters in East 
Anglia. One ancient record states that they did not 
escape without a sharp encounter at Stamford, in 
Lincoln, with the troops of Alderman Ethelnoth, who 
had been on the watch for them. The greater num- 
ber, however, arrived safely at the island of Mersey, 
where they once more established themselves. 

Meanwhile the strict watch kept by King Alfred 
and his troops had prevented the pirates from land- 
ing in Devon or Cornwall. Wearied by vain at- 
tempts to do so, they at length determined to sail 

169 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

eastward with their fleet, and rejoin their allies in 
East Anglia. On the way they made an attack on 
the coast of Sussex, not far from the town of Chi- 
chester. They found the coast well defended, how- 
ever, for the inhabitants of the district lost no time 
in turning out in great force. Many Danes were 
slain, and several of their ships captured. The sur- 
vivors hastened to Mersey, where they found a great 
force of their countrymen already assembled for a 
winter camp. 

On learning that the pirates had withdrawn from 
the coasts, Alfred left Devonshire and marched east- 
ward with his army, intending to advance against 
Mersey. While he was yet on the way messengers 
met him with the news that the Danes had un- 
expectedly left Mersey. Having towed their ships 
from the Blackwater up the Thames as far as 
the river Lea, and then up that river to a point 
twenty miles above London, they there fortified a 
camp. 

Their new camp, in which they remained for the 
winter, was well chosen as a point from which they 
might blockade London. This was no doubt their 
intention, though the winter and spring passed 
without their daring to come out from behind the 
fortifications. At length, in the summer of 896, 
some of the citizens of London determined to risk 
an attack on the Danish camp. But the Danes, 
who were on the alert, beat them back with great 

170 



The Defeat of the Danes 

loss, four English thanes being slain during the 
attack. 

At the time of harvest, King Alfred, fearing a 
Danish raid, encamped with an army in the neigh- 
bourhood of London in order to protect the crops, 
and watch the movements of the enemy. One day, 
while his army was thus engaged, the King rode 
along the bank of the river Lea and carefully ex- 
amined the stream. He discovered a spot where 
it would be possible to divert the river from its 
course, and so cut off the escape of the Danish 
ships. 

The King first ordered two strong forts to be 
constructed, one on each side of the Lea. Near 
these forts he caused a number of shallow channels 
to be dug, into which the main stream could flow. 
One day, while this work was still in progress, the 
Danes were horrified to observe the water of the 
river flowing off so rapidly as to make it impossible 
for them to take away their ships. Without waiting 
for the trap to be completed, Hastings and his 
Danes forsook their ships, and fled in panic across 
the country toward the north-east. So rapidly 
did they escape along Watling Street that, though 
Alfred's troops started in hot pursuit, they were 
unable to overtake them. The Danes reached 
Bridgenorth, in Shropshire, where they built a new 
stronghold. While the King's army continued to 
pursue the fugitives for some distance, the Londoners 

171 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

seized the deserted ships. All the useless vessels were 
burnt, and the rest towed in triumph to London. 

In the spring of 897, Hastings, who was now 
completely baffled and crushed, broke up his last 
camp on English soil. The Northumbrian and 
East Anglian Danes who had joined him returned 
to their homes, while Hastings himself, with his 
followers, made his way to the east coast to rejoin 
the Danish women and children. With his few 
remaining ships the old sea-robber then sailed 
away 'southward over sea to the Seine,' never 
to return. Thus Alfred's last war ended in the 
complete defeat of the Danes. 

Though the English had lost fewer men in this 
than in the former wars, a pestilence had raged 
among men and cattle during the three years that 
the Danes were in England. It attacked rich and 
poor alike, and thousands of people died, including 
many of the King's household servants. 

The Danes had been driven from England, but 
the pirates of the sea-coasts could not give up their 
roving life all at once. In the autumn of the year 
897, six pirate ships came to the Isle of Wight, and 
did much damage there as well as around the coasts 
of Devon. 

King Alfred ordered nine of his new vessels to go 
out against them, and cut off their escape in what- 
ever port they were found. The Englishmen came 
upon the pirates in the Solent, and there blockaded 

172 



The Defeat of the Danes 

them at an hour when the tide was very low. Three 
of the pirate vessels lay stranded owing to the ebb of 
the water, and their crews had gone ashore. The 
crews of those which were still afloat sailed boldly 
out to attack the English ships. Alfred's nine 
vessels quickly surrounded them, and though the 
pirates fought with desperate courage, they were 
only one to every three of the Englishmen engaged. 
Two of the pirate vessels were soon captured and 
their crews slain. The third ship escaped with only 
five men alive on it. 

The victorious Englishmen, determined to cap- 
ture this vessel, immediately gave chase. Their 
triumph had rendered them reckless of danger, and 
in the heat of the pursuit they failed to observe that 
they were sailing into low water. Suddenly, with 
no warning, all the King's ships found themselves 
stranded. Three ran aground on the side where 
the Danish vessels lay, and all the others on the op- 
posite side. This made it impossible for those on the 
opposite side to go to the help of the three vessels 
which had been stranded close to the enemy. 

The pirates did not fail to take advantage of this 
disaster. When the tide had still farther ebbed 
the pirate crews from the stranded vessels returned 
and made a fierce attack on the three English ships 
which lay at their mercy. Great was the rage and 
dismay of the Englishmen on the other shore, unable 
to go to the assistance of their comrades. In their 

173 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

helplessness they were seen to beat their breasts 
and tear their hair. 

In spite of their perilous position, the English- 
men defended themselves with great courage. They 
determined at all costs to prevent the capture of 
their vessels as long as possible, for it was certain 
that, with the turn of the tide, help would come to 
them from their comrades across the water. Mean- 
time, however, many of the bravest fell, mortally 
wounded by the pirates. Of the Danish crews no 
less than one hundred and twenty men were slain, 
while the English lost seventy-two, including five 
officers of the King's household. At last, when the 
English were driven almost to despair, the slowly 
returning tide reached the point where the Danish 
vessels lay. The pirates knew that if they waited 
until the tide reached the other six English vessels 
there would be no hope of their own escape, so they 
rowed away with all speed. Their vessels, however, 
were so badly damaged that they were unable to 
proceed farther than the Sussex coast, on which two 
of them were cast ashore. Their crews were immedi- 
ately captured by the English, bound in chains, and 
brought to the King at Winchester. 

Although King Alfred desired to show mercy to all 
who had wronged him, he knew that only by taking 
the severest measures could he put down piracy 
in future. If this were not done, many innocent 
people would have to suffer in days to come, and 

i74 



The Defeat of the Danes 

countless lives be lost. Therefore the King ordered 
all the captive pirates to be hanged, and, further, 
made a law that in future every pirate, whether 
English or Danish, captured on the coasts of Eng- 
land, should be put to death without mercy. As 
his orders were strictly carried out, the sea-faring 
people of Northumbria and East Anglia gradually 
ceased to follow the trade of pirates. 



175 



CHAPTERXXII: The Death 
of the King 

AFTER his final victory over the Danes, 
King Alfred enjoyed, during four happy 
years, the peace for which he had so greatly 
longed. He resumed the work which had been in- 
terrupted during the war, and became the captain 
of every enterprise which tended to the progress 
and welfare of his people. But bodily weakness, 
caused by the disease from which he had so long 
suffered, and aggravated by the hardships endured 
during the wars, had made the great King old before 
his time. At the end of the fourth year of peace his 
health failed completely. It is generally believed 
that his death took place at his royal palace of 
Wolvesey, in Winchester. No record exists of his 
last days, but we may believe that he met his end 
peacefully, happy in the knowledge that his life's 
work had been successfully completed. 

Alfred died on October 28, 901, at the early age 
of fifty-three, after a reign of twenty-nine years and 
six months. The Abbey Church of New Minster 
was unfinished at the time of his death, and he was 
buried in Winchester Cathedral. Even before the 
completion of the Abbey Church quarrels arose 
between the monks and the cathedral canons, who 
were jealous of the honours bestowed on the abbey, 
and it was declared that Alfred's spirit might be seen 



170 



The Death of the King 

wandering about the churchyard at night. His son 
Edward, on hearing of this, ordered the King's coffin 
to be solemnly transferred to the Abbey church 
which by that time was nearly completed. 

In the reign of King Henry I, when the monks 
removed from the New Minster to Hyde Abbey 
outside the city walls, there was a very great pro- 
cession, in which the King and Queen, and the 
Bishop of Winchester took part. The monks carried 
with them not only the relics of the saints, but the 
coffins of King Alfred, King Edward the Elder, 
Alfred's wife Elswitha, the good monk Grimbald, 
whose remains were enclosed in a silver shrine, and 
other illustrious dead. There Alfred's coffin rested 
for four hundred years, guarded by the faithful 
monks, and visited by the people who loved and 
reverenced his memory. At the Reformation, when 
the great English monasteries were dissolved, all the 
tombs at Winchester of Alfred and his descendants 
were destroyed. 

By his will Alfred left five hundred pounds and 
many rich lands and estates to each of his sons. 
To his son Edward he left his principal estates in 
Wiltshire and Somersetshire, including the famous 
royal burgh of Wedmore. To his youngest son 
Ethelward, he left the great estates of Guildford 
and Godalming in Surrey, and Steyning in Sussex. 

To his wife Elswitha and his three daughters 
the King bequeathed a hundred pounds each, and 

177 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

certain lands. Elswitha received the estates of 
Wantage, Lambourne (near Ashdown), and Ethen- 
dune (Eddington); for the King had desired that 
she should possess the place of his birth and the 
scenes of his two greatest victories. To his young- 
est daughter Elfrida, he gave the village of Lewisham 
in Kent, with its dependencies, Greenwich and Wool- 
wich. As already related, Elfrida afterwards gave 
these estates to the abbey of St Peter at Ghent. 

To his nephews Ethelhelm and Ethelward, sons 
of his brother Ethelred, the King bequeathed certain 
estates, according to an agreement made between 
the brothers before Ethelred's death. To them and 
to one, Osferth, believed to have been a kinsman of 
his wife, Alfred also left a hundred marks each. 
Ethelward, the youngest of Alfred's nephews, was 
not content with his inheritance. He not only 
endeavoured to extend it, but even attempted to 
seize the crown after Alfred's death. He thus be- 
came the enemy of his cousin, King Edward, 
against whom he took the field with an army. 
This revolt ended in 905, when Ethelward was slain 
in battle. 

King Alfred left a hundred marks to each of his 
aldermen, and to Ethelred his son-in-law, alderman 
of Mercia, he further bequeathed a sword worth a 
hundred marks. Among his serving-men, whom he 
was accustomed to pay at Easter, two hundred 
pounds were to be divided according to the claims of 

178 



The Death of the King 

each. His faithful clergy were also remembered in 
his will. To the Archbishop of Canterbury a hun- 
dred marks were bequeathed, and the same sum to 
Bishops Asser and Werferth. 

Alfred believed that masses said for the repose 
of men's souls and money given to God's poor would 
benefit the departed in the next world. So he left 
a sum of two hundred pounds to be devoted to the 
salvation of his soul, and that of his father and those 
friends for whose souls they had both promised to 
pray. This money was divided into four equal parts; 
of which one was to be given to the mass priests, one 
to the poor clergy, one to the church where he him- 
self should rest, and one to the poor throughout his 
kingdom. To this church of New Minster, he had 
previously bequeathed all the lands he possessed in 
Kent. 

Alfred desired that if there should be still more 
money in his treasury after these legacies had been 
paid, it should be divided among those already 
mentioned in his will. In former years, when he 
had more relatives living, he had made other wills, in 
which they were mentioned. If any of these older 
wills were found after his death he wished them to 
be destroyed. Alfred commanded that none of the 
estates bequeathed by him to his kinsmen should 
ever be given to females, but should be handed 
down in the male line, according to the custom of 
his house; for, he adds, "my grandfather gave his 

179 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

lands to the spear side and not to the spindle 
side." 

Lastly, Alfred remembered the slaves on his es- 
tates, whose condition he had greatly improved. 
His personal servants as well as the field labourers 
were to be given full liberty to go over to another 
master, or to another estate at their own pleasure, 
and no one was to oppress them. 

The King had refused to hoard his money and had 
spent it freely for the good of his subjects. Thus 
he died comparatively poor in worldly wealth, yet 
the sums mentioned in his will are not so small as 
might appear to us at the present day. The pur- 
chasing power of money in Anglo-Saxon times was 
very much greater than now. From early times to 
the eleventh century the usual value of a sheep was 
one shilling, both in Wessex and Mercia. A pig was 
worth two shillings, and an ox six. A slave could be 
bought for one pound, and a horse for half as 
much. 

No historian of that time has left a description of 
Alfred's appearance. We do not think of the great 
King as possessing a giant-like form, but suppose 
him rather to have been of middle height, wiry, and 
active, with the fair hair and blue eyes of the Saxon 
race. We know that he was capable of enduring 
great hardships in camp or on the battle-field. 

"No man should desire a soft life," he had once 
written. His own life had not been soft. From boy- 

180 



The Death of the King 

hood to middle age it had been a ceaseless struggle 
against heathen enemies, against bodily sickness, 
against the ignorance and superstition of his own sub- 
jects. Yet he had ever marched breastf or ward, bear- 
ing affliction with large-hearted cheerfulness and for- 
titude. His life of constant activity may have 
helped him to forget the pain from which he fre- 
quently suffered, for his strong, brave spirit continu- 
ally gained the mastery over his frail body. He 
believed that pain and trouble came from God, and 
in hours of desertion and defeat we are told that 
he was encouraged by visions of the saints, who 
bade him be of good cheer. 

The King was at once a great statesman and a 
great general. As statesman he guided his people 
through a most difficult period of their history. In 
saving Wessex from the general wreck brought about 
by heathen invasions, he made his kingdom the 
centre for the deliverance and union of all England. 
Though Alfred did not live to form England into a 
single kingdom, he made this work possible for his 
sons and grandsons. He also did much to increase 
the royal power and authority within his kingdom. 

As general, the memory of his valour in the 
battle-field and his perseverance in the face of over- 
whelming difficulties will ever serve as an example 
to the British soldier. 

One secret of Alfred's success was that his people 
knew they could trust him. He is known as Alfred 

181 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

the Truth-teller, for his word was his bond. To 
defend his people, to rule them justly, and to give 
them wise laws was not enough for him. All this he 
did and more also. He made it his further business 
to be their guide, their teacher, their father, and 
their friend. He undertook the humble task of a 
translator that they might be the better instructed 
in their own tongue. 

Though a great student, he was no narrow-minded 
recluse. Though a king he did not hold himself 
apart from his people, but delighted in mixing freely 
with them, rejoicing in the society of his scholars, 
his huntsmen, his craftsmen, and his mariners, 
interested in every worthy pursuit. While dealing 
all day with the common affairs of life, he ever kept 
before him the ideal of the highest. 

"I desire," the King had written, "to leave to 
those who come after me a memory of me in good 
works." His aim has been more than fulfilled. 
While other great names have been forgotten his 
has come down to us through a thousand years, 
encircled by the loving affection of the whole British 
race, familiar to every English-speaking child. 

Though King Alfred died rich in the love and 
gratitude of his subjects, it was impossible for them 
fully to realize all he had done for them. He had 
found them ignorant, dejected, a prey to heathen 
enemies. He left them enlightened, delivered, 
inspired with courage and hope, and struggling up- 

182 



The Death of the King 

wards on a path of progress from which they have 
never since wholly turned back. 

Great as were Alfred's achievements in relation 
to his opportunities yet it is less for what he did 
than for the seeds he sowed of still greater things 
to come that we have now to honour him. For 
could the King awake from his sleep of a thousand 
years to gaze on his country and the descendants of 
those for whom he worked, how greatly amazed 
would he be at the outcome of his labours. 

The little Saxon fort on the banks of the Thames 
which he rebuilt so long ago, he would find grown 
into the world's mightiest metropolis. In the Eng- 
lish Parliament with its far-reaching power and com- 
plicated organization, he would behold the descend- 
ants of his Witan, with whom he once held council. 
In place of the little fleet of ships which he once 
built at the cost of much labour and self-sacrifice 
he would find riding on all seas the Imperial navy, 
glorified by centuries of victory and supremacy, and 
charged with the guardianship of a fifth of the world. 

He who first laboured to translate books into the 
English tongue would find the wealth of our English 
literature of to-day. Could he view us in a great 
panorama, Britain's commerce, her wealth, her arm- 
ies, her dominions beyond the seas, the great proces- 
sion of people of all nations now subject to the British 
crown, would he not marvel greatly at the growth 
of that seed sown by him a thousand \ears ago! 

183 



CHAPTER XXIII: King 
Alfreds Millenary 

IN the autumn of 1901, exactly a thousand years 
after the death of Alfred, there gathered in the 
city of Winchester, his ancient capital, a vast 
assembly of distinguished guests from all parts of 
the English-speaking world. Noblemen, statesmen, 
famous generals, men of letters, and representatives 
from all the Universities and learned societies of 
Great Britain, America, and the Colonies, met there 
to do honour to the memory of Alfred the Great, 
and to take part in the unveiling of a magnificent 
bronze statue, which had been erected in his honour 
at a cost of over £5000. 

In connexion with the celebrations, an exhibition 
was also held in the British Museum, London, and 
was visited by many thousands of people. The 
exhibits, which excited great interest, consisted of 
manuscripts, objects of art, and coins, all belonging 
to the time of King Alfred. 

The manuscripts included a very early copy of 
the Saxon Chronicle, and two other copies of later 
date; a copy of Alfred's last will made between 
880 and 885; and a manuscript copy of Asser's 
Life of Alfred. There were also to be seen early 
copies of all the books still in existence written or 
translated by King Alfred, including the Universal 
History of Orosius, Alfred's Anglo-Saxon version 

184 



King Alfred } s Millenary 

of Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care, Alfred's version 
of Bcethius and of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of 
the English People; an eleventh century copy of 
the Laws of King Alfred; a charter giving particu- 
lars of the lands granted by Alfred's wife Elswitha 
to the nuns of St Mary's, Winchester. There was 
also to be seen a copy of the four Gospels in Latin, 
followed in a handwriting of the same period, by a 
copy of the famous letter addressed to Alfred by 
Fulk, Archbishop of Rheims (see Chapter XIV). At 
the beginning of each gospel are two pages gorge- 
ously illuminated. There were also several Latin 
copies of ancient grants and charters, among them 
being a grant of lands in Kent from King Ethelwulf 
to one of his thanes, Ealdene. This grant, dated 
855, is witnessed by Alfred, the King's son, then six 
years old. Another was a copy of a grant of land 
by King Alfred, dated 875. 

Among the plate and jewellery, the most remarkable 
exhibits were two gold rings, relics of priceless value, 
still to be seen in the British Museum. The first 
of these, which once belonged to Ethelwulf, Alfred's 
father, was discovered, by a fortunate chance, during 
the summer of 1780 in the parish of Laverstock, Wilt- 
shire, not far from Salisbury. It had been pressed 
out of a cart rut in a field, and was picked up by 
a labourer, who sold it to a silversmith in Salisbury 
for thirty-four shillings, the value of the gold. The 
ring bears some resemblance in shape to a bishop's 

i8 5 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

mitre. On it is engraved, in lettering of the ninth 
century, the words ' Ethel wulf Rex.' Above this is 
a device filled in, like the letters, with black enamel, 
representing two peacocks pecking a tree. The ring 
shows the mark of a cart wheel, and is still somewhat 
flattened in shape from the crushing received. 

The other gold ring was once the property of 
Ethelswitha, Queen of Mercia, the sister of Alfred, 
and is of similar make to the first. It was found near 
Aberford in Yorkshire, in the year 1870, by a plough- 
man, who first observed it at the point of his plough- 
share. He brought it to his master, who, believing 
it to be brass, attached it to his dog's collar. There 
it hung for some time, until one day a friend assured 
him that it was gold. He then carried it to a silver- 
smith in York, and exchanged it for spoons. The 
dealer afterwards sold the ring, which passed into 
the possession of various people until it was be- 
queathed by Sir Wollaston Franks to the British 
Museum. 

The front of the ring is circular in shape, and 
inlaid with black enamel. The device is a lamb 
inside a circular medallion, surrounded by four 
leaves, with the letters A. D. which stand for Agnus 
Dei, Lamb of God. Inside the ring, on the back 
of the circle, is the name Eathelswitha Regna 
(regina). 

From the style of the letters it is believed that 
they were not engraven by a goldsmith, but scratched 

186 



King Alfred's Millenary 

in later by the priest of some shrine to which 
Ethelswitha may have presented the ring. 

Several gold brooches, a seal, a silver spoon and a 
fork, all belonging to King Alfred's time, as well as 
a beautiful copy of the Alfred Jewell, the original 
of which is in Oxford (see Chapter IX), were among 
the exhibits. 

The collection of coins was very fine, and included 
some beautiful specimens of the coinage of Nor- 
thumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Kent, and Wessex 
from about 600 to 901. The coins struck under 
Alfred are mostly silver pennies, each supposed to 
contain twenty-four grains troy of sterling silver. 
Of these pennies there are over twenty different 
kinds struck at no fewer than ten mints. Coins 
larger than the penny are rare, but two worth nearly 
seven pence, or 162 § grains, were to be seen in the 
collection. It is believed that the heavy coins may 
have been offering-pennies given by the King to 
churches. 

On some coins the King's bust is shown, his face 
turned towards the right, with a diadem or band 
round his head and ornamental drapery on his 
shoulders. The engraving is in most cases very 
roughly executed, and it would be a poor compliment 
to the King to accept the figures on the coins as 
accurate portraits. All coins bearing the King's 
image show him without a beard, and on most of 
them are the words, Aelfred Rex Saxonum. 

187 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

The Millenary celebrations at Winchester extended 
over several days, but the principal functions took 
place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 18th, 
19th, and 20th September. During these days the 
streets of Winchester's grey old city were thronged 
with vaster crowds of people than had ever before 
been gathered there. On the Wednesday and 
Thursday visits were paid to the different places of 
historical interest in or near Winchester. 

The ancient hall which formed part of the old 
castle was visited. This castle was a royal residence 
and fortress in the time of King Alfred, and contin- 
ued to be much used by the kings of England after 
the Conquest. A visit was also paid to Hyde 
Abbey, the site of Alfred's burial place. The ruins 
of the monks' barn, and part of the front gateway, 
are all that now remain of the famous Abbey, although 
the sites of the fish pond, the Abbey mill, and the 
parish church are still pointed out. A church, of 
which the foundations are probably Saxon, still 
stands on the ancient site. 

Winchester Cathedral was also visited. The 
present edifice has been rebuilt, but on the same 
site there stood in Alfred's time a cathedral, which 
was the principal crowning and burial place of the 
kings of England from Egbert to Cnut. The bones 
of some of these kings are contained in six painted 
wooden chests, placed on the north and south sides 
of the choir. 

188 



King Alfreds Millenary 

On the Thursday, a visit was paid to the ruins of 
Wolvesey Palace, where Alfred is believed to have 
died. Nothing now remains of it but portions of 
the old ivy-covered walls. It may have been on 
these very walls that the King, two years before his 
death, ordered a crew of Danish pirates to be 
hanged, after trial, at Winchester. Wolvesey is said 
to have been the place where Alfred assembled the 
scholars who assisted him in his literary work, and 
there much of that work, including the Anglo-Saxon 
Chronicle, must have been accomplished. 

Friday, September 20, was the greatest day of 
all in the Millenary celebration, and was observed 
as a public holiday in Winchester. In the morning 
a magnificent procession, marked by a wealth of 
colour, gathered on the Castle Hill, and marched 
from the West Gate of the city to the Broadway, 
where the grand ceremony of unveiling Alfred's 
statue was to take place. First in order came the 
Band of the First Volunteer Battalion of the Hamp- 
shire Regiment; then the white-robed choristers from 
Winchester, Salisbury, and Chichester Cathedrals, 
from the Chapel Royal, Windsor, and from city 
parishes; next, detachments of Northumberland 
Fusiliers, King's Rifles, Gordon Highlanders, Infan- 
try and Artillery Volunteers; then the Naval Bri- 
gade, which was warmly cheered, led by the band of 
His Majesty's ship "Excellent." After this, in suc- 
cession followed representatives of friendly societies; 

189 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

the City Champion in doughty array; representative 
clergy; the Master and Brethren of the ancient 
Hospital of St Cross, Winchester; the masters and 
scholars of Winchester College; the Dean and 
Chapter of Winchester Cathedral; the Band of the 
Rifle Volunteers; delegates of the Universities and 
learned societies from all parts of the English- 
speaking world; the Deans of Windsor, Salisbury, 
Chichester, St Albans, and Durham; the Bishops of 
Winchester, Salisbury, Guildford, and Southamp- 
ton; the mayors of many cities and boroughs; the 
Lord Provost of Edinburgh; the Lord Mayor and 
Sheriffs of London; the High Sheriff of Hampshire; 
the Lord Lieutenant (Earl Northbrook) ; the Earl of 
Rosebery; Mr Hamo Thorny croft, R.A., the sculp- 
tor; the Band of the Gordon Highlanders; the Mayor 
and Corporation of Winchester. 

This procession presented a spectacle of surpass- 
ing brilliancy. Nearly all who took part in it were 
in full academicals or levee dress. Gorgeous official 
robes of scarlet, blue, ermine, and black, academic 
hoods of every hue, and all manner of quaint head- 
gear were worn. The whole route of the procession 
was lined with soldiers; flags waved from every 
tower, and houses, windows, and balconies were 
gaily decorated. 

When the procession had reached the Broadway 
and had halted around the veiled statue, the Bishop 
of Winchester offered up a prayer. Lord Rosebery 

190 



King Alfred's Millenary 

then addressed to those assembled a most eloquent 
speech in praise of the Saxon hero, King Alfred. At 
the conclusion of his address he unveiled the statue 
by pulling a silken cord. "God save the King," 
was then sung, and cheers were raised for Lord 
Rosebery and the sculptor, Mr Hamo Thornycroft. 
Guns thundered forth a loud salute, and the bells 
of the Cathedral Church rang out a merry peal. 

The Mayor of Winchester afterwards entertained 
four hundred guests at a banquet in the Guildhall. 
In the afternoon medals and cakes were distributed 
to the school children. A large ox, weighing eight 
hundred and thirty seven pounds, was roasted whole, 
and pieces of it were afterwards distributed to the 
poor of Winchester. In the evening the streets 
were brilliantly illuminated, and a display of fire- 
works ended a day memorable for all time in the 
annals of Winchester, where, after a thousand years, 
the memory of the city's greatest son was so fittingly 
honoured. 

The great statue of King Alfred stands in the 
Broadway facing up the High Street, its splendid 
background the terraced hill of St Giles. The figure 
is mounted on two huge blocks of granite, one above 
the other, both brought from the granite quarries of 
Penryn, Cornwall. The King holds high uplifted in 
his right hand, a sheathed sword, grasping it beneath 
the hilt, which is in the form of a cross, so that it 
is presented as an emblem of Christianity and of 

191 



The Story of Alfred the Great 

peace rather than of war. His shield is by his side, 
as a support for his left hand. From beneath his 
crown, long flowing locks of hair fall on each side of 
his noble countenance, majestic in its gentleness 
and strength. His face is bearded, as was common 
among the best type of Saxons. The King's robes 
are thrown back, showing his short belted tunic 
and leather leggings, fastened with thongs below 
the knees. His whole attitude is dignified and 
kingly. 

The great statue stands as an emblem of the fact 
that the heroic King still lives in the hearts of the 
English people, who owe him so much. The homage 
paid to his memory on the occasion of his millenary 
celebration by representatives from nearly every 
part of the civilized world is proof that Alfred of 
Wessex yet holds his place as one of the greatest 
figures in history. 



192 



